Marva Dene Parker was born to Ariel "F" Parker and Margaret Emmerine Lott Parker on January 16,1930, in Joseph, Sevier County, Utah. Marva was the 7th child of Ariel and Maggie. Mom had many fond memories of her childhood and told us many stories of playing with her brothers, floating down the canal behind their home and riding their goats.She also told us how her and Grandma Parker made corn husk dolls out of the corn silk and husks off of the shucked corn stalks. Marva attended Sevier County Schools. Mom cherished her school friends and kept in contact with several of them up until her passing. She was Vice President of the Girls Association, at South Sevier High School, which would prepare her for her later life when she and her husband, Ray William Garrard, would welcome 5 daughters to their home. Marva served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to the "Great Lakes Mission" from 1951 to 1952 and grew to love the people she served and served with. Mom told us that what she really wanted to do was go to nursing school, but when she asked Grandpa Parker if he would help put her through college he told her no, but that he would pay for her to go on a mission. Mom understanding that a mission would be greatly beneficial to her life, as well, decided to go on a mission. She was right since that is where she met her future husband who was also serving a mission for the church. After Marva and Ray returned home from their missions they met again fell in love and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on September 8th, 1953. Marva was an incredible mother who had a great sense of humor. Marva created a home that all felt welcome in, clean but not to fussy about "things". Marva was a women of faith that encouraged her children to foster their own relationship with Heavenly Father and taught her daughters to serve others. Marva being a true helpmate to her husband supported him as he received his degree at Brigham Young University in Religious Education. They moved their young family of 5 girls to Bountiful when Ray received employement from the Church Educational System as a Seminary teacher. Marva worked in the school system for years but her nurturing side wanted to work with special needs people and so she worked with the handicapped folks at a place in Bountiful called "The Opportunity Center". When her husband, Ray, was transferred to Ogden, Utah, to be the Principal at the State Industrial School Seminary, Marva got to stay home and be with her girls for a while. Then when she did go back to work she was hired at Crosses Western Wear in downtown Ogden as their Bookkeeper. She enjoyed her associations there. But then that side of her that just wanted to be around people who had special needs surfaced and she got a job at the Ogden Sheltered Workshop for the handicapped and then at a place called "Wide Horizons" which also was a group home for the handicapped, where she worked until she retired.