Myriam von Nolcken Nau, age 94, passed away on January 7, 2026 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Born on January 28, 1931 in Tallinn, Estonia to Werner Ernst von Nolcken and Tatjana Ossulkin, Myriam was known for her quiet fortitude, her signature art, and her giving spirit.

Myriam's self-taught artistry ranged in the visual arts, including painting, folk art, wood burning and carving, and also the literary arts, including poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. A quiet force of nature whose resilience carried her across the world, Myriam spoke four languages and lived in eight countries: Estonia, Poland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Colombia, Israel, and the US.

Throughout her life, Myriam owned several galleries where she taught art classes, spreading her zeal for creativity. A lover of animals and tranquil settings, her own work depicts the regions she resided in, blending styles of sentimentalism, expressionism, and realism and capturing pastoral landscapes, wildlife and domestic animals, and ordinary people.

Myriam's immense talents coupled with her genuine confidence in others inspired many to pursue their artistic passions and live a life of adventure, including her granddaughter Tatyana now attending art school and her grandniece Anna May living abroad and traveling the world like her great-aunt.

Through Myriam's art and unwavering hope, she found her twin brother and was reunited in 1991 after 52 years of separation. In 1998, Myriam renounced her baroness title to gain American citizenship, and in 2014, she published her memoir "The Burning Train," chronicling her remarkable, circuitous journey spanning four continents. Later she published "The Red Pencil," a historical fiction about a Polish family during Nazi occupation.

Despite her hardships, Myriam remained devout in her Christian Science faith and personally drafted a book of scriptures for her beloved son. Her generosity flowed privately towards numerous charities, including multiple animal rescues, St. Jude's, the Salvation Army, and more. Quietly dedicating the profits from her artwork to these nonprofits further underscores how Myriam lived: richly in kindness, modestly in her approach, and abundantly in faith.

Myriam was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ron Nau, sister Margarete von Nolcken, brother Eugen von Nolcken, daughter-in-law Maria Arruda, stepson Misha Nau, and niece Evelyn Harding.

She is survived by her son Louis von Nerling, stepdaughters Lila Nau, Yulia Nau, and Minnie Nau, granddaughters Tatiana Nerling and Sherry Arruda, grandson Derek Arruda, nieces Heidi Long and Darlene Adams, grandnieces Angela Yacovone Pentz and Anna Yacovone, and grandnephews Richard Harding, Joshua Villanueva, and Trevor Long.

Calling hours with a service for Myriam will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2025 from 4-7 P.M. at the Manuel Rogers Funeral Home, 1521 N. Main St., Fall River.