Margery Mae Miner Harvey

At 9:53 pm Christmas night 2024, Marge’s spirit left her body to embark on her next experiences in her eternal life. She was a bright light and a loving mother. She was born September 6, 1946 in Blackfoot, Idaho to Carlos Fulmer Miner and Geneva Bergeson Miner. She actually grew up in the rural area across the river from Blackfoot known as Groveland. She was educated in Groveland and Blackfoot. 

 At Blackfoot High School she was "Miss just about-everything." She was elected to student government, Homecoming Queen, the school drill team, was a state champion debater, represented her High School at Girls State and represented her state at Girls Nation. There she met President Kennedy a few weeks prior to his assassination. She was honored to receive a full scholarship to BYU as a Debater where she won many accolades. She loved it and was exceptionally gifted at it. She often recalled to me how she and her partner (Becky Layton, a Davis high graduate) soundly defeated two somewhat self-enamored hot shot male debaters from Harvard. 

 She is the matriarch of 7 children, 29 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren. The number of "greats" is expanding so rapidly now, it's hard to keep a current tally. She loves them all and longed to meet each of them. She was always an advocate for children. Her children are Richard Brett, Shelley Ann, Jared Miner, Erin Leigh, Gregory Jason, Brooke Cammile, and Lacey Elizabeth. Erin was born from a 747 and was approximately 6 months old. Greg found us at the Davis High football stadium a number of years after a harrowing escape from Saigon, Viet Nam and 4-5 years in a refugee camp on one of the Indonesian islands from which the U.S. Government brought him to Tacoma, Washington and eventually to North Salt Lake City, Utah and finally to our family. Our 2 Asian children were assimilated into our family as full-fledged members. The other 5 children came about the traditional way. I was just recounting to her my experience sitting in the waiting room at the Utah Valley Hospital and hearing her cry out in pain and then Brett began to wail just as the familiar music of "Gunsmoke" began. She was still indignant that one of the nurses had told her that the Lord would not have given her so much pain and the 23 hour labor if she could not bear it. It took a major convincing about the efficacy of spinal blocks during childbirth or the next four Harvey babies would not have been born. She is a committed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a disciple of her Savior Jesus Christ. She loves the Gospel. 

 She has struggled mightily with her health over the past 10 years. First, lung cancer to which she lost part of one lung. Within 3 days of her cancer diagnosis, our son Greg was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer which I am sure was attributable to agent orange contamination he was exposed to in the vicinity of Saigon, Viet Nam where he was born in the early 1970's. Greg soon passed and Marge recovered , mostly. But this trauma began a cascade in her health culminating, in at least 6 years of cognitive decline, with dementia/Alzheimer’s and most recently, cardio-pulmonary hypertension which related back to her cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially the radiation therapy she endured. 

 She loved debate. It took me many years to realize what she was doing to me when we experienced some kind of disagreement and I found myself defending some indefensible argument, usually not germaine to the original issue. She wasn't mean about it, but I know she enjoyed it a Great deal. I did get a few licks in when we debated life together--when she let me. I have lived the last 57years and 3 months knowing that she loved me and our family and I knew that she would support us, only pulling back on the rains when we were about to go off a proverbial cliff. I often was involved in controversial stuff with my 30 year career with the Health Department, the Army, and politics in Fruit Heights City. She had to answer the phone when some crisis in the city or county needed to be addressed or reports of some spill of methyl-ethyl-bad stuff that needed my involvement. She was masterful at being my first line of defense. Her skills in working in the Mayor’s office in Salt Lake were one of her joys in life. She was very involved in the 2002 Olympics and was the Mayors liaison with two community councils in the city. When Deedee Corradini's ( with whom she loved working) two terms as Mayor ended, she worked for the new mayor for about a year and was quite miserable. So she was able to transfer to the city council office where she worked very closely with two City Council members that she enjoyed very much, Van Snow and Carlton Christensen. She enjoyed that but had some health issues that curtailed her working. So she went back into being a loving spouse, mother and grandmother full time. 

 She loved her work in the church in many callings including YWMIA President and RS instructor. We shared a calling teaching 10 and 11 year olds in Sunday School together. We have enjoyed watching those children grow into Adults. She served many years in the primary and coincidently she was PTA President and she served on the County PTA advisory board. She was deeply committed to helping children. 

 She is kind of a private person but really shined when doing something worthwhile. I guess we can all quit worrying about whether we were crazy to have decided to get married after only knowing each other for 3 days. 57years, 3 months and 5 days are proof of the pudding that we did the right thing. She has told me that she was wondering what was wrong with her brain to have said "yes" to such a crazy question that I felt so strongly had to be asked. It just felt right and I don't have any recollection of any doubt when I asked it 3 days after we met on a blind date. I don't recall her hesitating a second in answering "yes"! We were married 30 days later in the Idaho Falls Temple. It was whirlwind and crazy but it worked for us. 

 She was blessed with parents and extended family who were good people who taught her the Gospel. She was protected by brothers and uncles she loved and her maternal grandfather had a special place in her heart. Later in her youth, her parents blessed their family with a baby daughter and finally a sister for Marge. She was overjoyed and still is!! Her mother attempted to domesticate her but failed miserably. Marge was much more comfortable reading a book than learning to bake bread or sew. She did, after much trial and error, master tacos and mac 'n' cheese. 

 She is survived by her older brother Lewis B. (Tuana), younger brothers and sister: Lynn (Kathy), Don (Elaine), Barbara (John) and Mark (Kelley). Her children: Richard Brett, Shelley Ann (Gene), Jared Miner (Lesli), Erin Leigh, Brooke Cammille (Keith), and Lacey (Mike). 29 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and many cousins. She was preceeded in death by her grandparents and all of her uncles and aunts. Her parents, her eldest sibling Steven and her son Gregory Jason and one son-in-law Jay Small. To put it in farmer parlance, "she has cut a wide swath". She is much respected by many and much loved by many more. We will miss her, but we will see her in the morning. The morning of the resurrection. 

 We express our appreciation to all of the caregivers, Ward Members and family who have given so much selfless service to Marge over the days, weeks, months and years. Thanks to Lindquist Mortuaries and our special family "undertaker" Norris Nalder. I truly cannot comprehend how she or I would have been able to survive the trauma of her decline and death without family, ward members, Ministering Brothers, Bishops, Relief Society Presidents and Sisters, caregivers, and friends. Our children went way beyond the call of duty. Thank you all so much.

 Funeral services will be held Saturday January 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Kaysville Bloomington Grove Chapel, 1955 S. 350 E., Kaysville, Utah. Family and friends may visit Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Kaysville Mortuary, 400 N. Main St., Kaysville, Utah and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church prior to the service.

 Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery.

 The funeral service will be live-streamed and may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Margery’s obituary page at www.lindquistmortuary.com

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