Marva Allen

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt passed away on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 surrounded by loving family in Bountiful, Utah. She was born Aug. 9, 1929 in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Kenneth R. and Iona B. Stevens, the second of seven children. Marva was raised in Logan, Utah where her father taught at Utah State. From 1938-40 she lived in Tahiti where her father served as an LDS Mission President. There she was educated in French and grew to love the isles of the sea. Marva graduated from Utah State in 1951, where she served as Student Body Secretary and met the love of her life, LeGrande Allen. They married on March 20, 1953 in the Logan LDS Temple. They settled in Bountiful, Utah where they raised their eight children. A dedicated and devoted wife and mother, Marva lived a life of service and love. Her legacy of sacrifice and selfless giving is indelible. Over the years she has been a source of strength to LeGrande, always caring and concerned. For over 58 years theirs was a true love story. Forever valiant in her testimony in the Latter-day Saint faith, she never said no to a calling, serving in every auxiliary in both teaching and leadership positions. She was affectionately called Marvelous Marva by those who knew and loved her. Her testimony and faith were evident in her words and by her actions. She loved reading the Book of Mormon and was faithful in her study. She filled many journals until she could no longer write. Marvas hands were always busy in good works. She made 37 personalized baptism quilts for her grandchildren, as a physical reminder of the significance of the ordinance, as well as demonstrating her love to each of them. She was a prolific bread maker, always sharing hot loaves to others as a token of her love. She was a skilled seamstress, and a masterful typist who spent nights proofing and typing her childrens school papers. She wrote remarkable, detailed letters to loved ones, which she often called her epistles. Marva loved to learn and shared that passion with her children and grandchildren. She taught a love of books and reading to her family, as the public library became a favorite place to her posterity. She also enjoyed the outdoors and shared many vacations with her family, fishing, hunting and camping in the mountains. She especially loved sunsets, and would call her family out to enjoy their beauty. Music was important to her, and she sacrificed so that her children might receive music lessons. She especially loved patriotic music and played it often. She gardened and canned tirelessly, taking great joy from her labors and being grateful for the earths harvest. Marva loved her pioneer ancestry, participating as an active member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers for many years. She loved her calling as a Church Service Missionary at the Beehive House. Marva wore out her life in the service of others. Her request to her family was no empty chairs when the curtain of mortality falls. Her legacy of faith and humility will inspire many for generations to come. She was a proud supporter of her missionary grandchildren, seventeen of whom have already or are currently serving. There are still many who will yet serve. The family would like to thank the many caregivers who have provided kind and loving service to their parents, including Carol Jean, Jennifer, Dawn, Glenna, Applegate Hospice, Life Care, and many dear grandchildren. Marva was preceded in death by her parents, and baby brother, K.B., and survived by her sisters, Catherine Boman and Vera Winkel, and her brothers, Kenneth, Lyman and Mark Stevens. Marva is also survived by her husband, LeGrande, and children, Maylene (Mark) Millburn, Centerville; Rebecca (Clark) Allred, Vernal; Kayla (Lorin) MacKay, Bountiful; Daniel (Cheryl), Colorado Springs, CO; Scott (Tiffiny) West Bountiful; Marcia (Scott) Stanford, Fullerton, CA; Rozanne (Eric) Oldroyd, Farmington; Jennavee (Mathew) Anderson, Kaysville. She has 41 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 at the Bountiful 37th Ward, 1450 North 400 East. A viewing will be held at Friday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Russon Brothers Bountiful Mortuary, 295 North Main and Saturday morning 9:30-10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment-Bountiful City Cemetery.