Marion Widdison Cox Arave
October 3, 1909 - November 28, 2006
Born in Hooper, Utah - Resided in Hooper, Utah


HOOPER - Marion Cox Arave, 97, died peacefully Tuesday night at the home of her daughter.

Our mother was born in Hooper, Utah to James G. and Lillian Gardner
Widdison, the second of eleven children.

She married William Antony (Tony) Cox on September 18, 1936 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He passed away September 16, 1956. She married Roy E. Arave on June 12, 1964. He passed away October 24, 1996.

Marion was a life-time resident of Hooper and was proud to be a Charter Member of the Hooper Women's Club, which she attended until her death.

She was a member of the first graduating class of Weber High School where she received the first Salutatorian Award. She loved being on the Debate Team and could still recite their debate subject title.

She graduated from Weber College in 1929 and began teaching elementary school in Liberty. She took time out to raise her five children, but with Tony's death, she had to return to school for a four year degree while teaching school and raising her five children. She graduated from Utah State in 1964. She taught 30 years without a day of sick leave.

She was an active member of the LDS Church holding many positions including Ward and Stake Young Women's President, Ward Relief Society President, but her favorite was being Ward and Stake Dance directors with Tony.

At the time of her death she was still leading the singing in Relief Society. She was Mother of the Year for the State of Utah (1985) and Ogden Pioneer Day Queen (1994).

Mom loved life, all four seasons, taking care of her flower garden, travel (she visited all 50 states and many countries), dancing, sports, her family, her friends and her country. She was an excellent seamstress, decorated for Christmas inside and out, made baby quilts for grandchildren and great-grandchildren, raised four Eagle Scouts, and five college graduates and wrote in her Journal until the end.

Mom was a great role model, always in charge and would never give up. She leaves behind four sons and one daughter, Roger (Kaye) Cox, Ogden; Doug (Janet) Cox, West Point; Clair (Christy) Cox, Centerville; Marilyn (Richard) Schiffman, Hooper; Bobby (LaDawn) Cox, Pleasant View; 25 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

Also surviving are three sisters, Marie Haws Beecher, Donna Draper and Ruth Dawson, all of Hooper; and two brothers, Milt Widdison, Salt Lake City; and Don Widdison, Hooper.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, three brothers, Burt, Howard and Arch, two sisters Vilate Wilson Weaver and Margaret Vaughn and one granddaughter, Wendy Cox.

The family would like to give special thanks to Brittany and Amber Schiffman and to Vista Care Hospice and her caring nurse Marie Jensen along with Stacey, Bridget and Phil.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 11 a.m. at the Hooper 7th Ward, 5000 South 5900 West, Hooper, Utah.
Friends may call on Friday at Myers Mortuary in Roy, 5865 South 1900 West from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday at the Ward Chapel from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment, Hooper City Cemetery.