After 65 years of marriage, couple passes away within days of each other
SHELLEY — Verna Gaye Phillips and Louis LaMoyne Marsden were married for 65 years. The couple passed away just days apart from each other. Louis passed away on December 11, and Verna passed away on December 15.
Verna Gaye Phillips Obituary
Verna Gaye Phillips was born July 28, 1935 at home near American Falls, Idaho, to Virn Elias Phillips and Jessie Nelean Aldous Phillips. She left this earth to join her husband of 65 years on December 15, 2020 at the age of 85. Their love story now continues into the eternities.
Verna was raised among a joyful, hardworking, loving family which included her brothers and sisters: Blaine Elias, Glen Henry, Marva Nelean, David LeRoy, Elma Jean and Theodore Ray who all love her dearly.
She was an excellent student, she spoke at her 8th grade graduation as an honor student, and went on to attend Aberdeen High School. In her junior year the family moved to Cashmere, Washington where her father worked building dams along the Columbia River living in a beautiful home on the banks of Mission Creek. She graduated from high school in Cashmere. Her education continued with 6 months of nurses training at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. She then lived with her lifelong friend Norma Elliott as she continued training and attended classes at LDS Hospital in Idaho Falls, Idaho for 2 ½ years.
Verna met the love of her life Louis LaMoyne Marsden on a blind date, after he had won the ugliest man contest for Bingham County. They had a great time together and were engaged by November of that same year. Their love affair was sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple where they were married on June 10, 1955.
Louis LaMoyne Marsden Obituary
Louis LaMoyne Marsden
July 20, 1929 – December 11, 2020
The ugliest man in Bingham County got his wish. He had read that the winner of the contest for The Ugliest Man in Bingham County would win the prize of kissing as many girls as would line up to kiss him. So Lou entered the contest. And won. He had no idea that he would eventually meet, date and marry the love of his life after a line of girls formed to kiss the smiling winner. But that’s how Lou met his wife Verna Gaye Phillips in 1954 after winning a fun competition at the Bingham County Fair in Blackfoot, Idaho.
Lou passed away on December 11, 2020 at the age of 91 after a brief battle with Covid-19. He was surrounded by family and friends and will be sorely missed by many. He was born July 20, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah to parents Vera Adelaide Dye Marsden and Louis Hyrum Marsden. They moved to Firth, Idaho shortly thereafter. Lou was raised with his younger brother Ronald LaMar Marsden in Firth and attended school there. He was always a practical joker and loved to memorize funny songs and poems that he often recited his whole life. A great trick was played on his brother Ron when a group of boys got together to see who had the strongest lung capacity. They found a set of hollow bicycle handlebars and would choose two boys who would simultaneously blow into each end to see who could overpower the other. When Lou and his brother Ron were chosen, Lou surreptitiously picked up some manure and shoved it into the handlebars before anyone could see. Knowing that the contest would start when the count reached 3, Lou prepared with a big breath and when the count reached 2 – just when Ron took a big breath to prepare – Lou blew with all his might and Ron got a mouthful of manure!
