BLACKFOOT- Marvin John Harper, 37 years old Blackfoot resident, died instantly Thursday, Oct. 14 (1993) from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Idaho Falls.
He was born December 13, 1955, in Provo, Utah, the son of John “Jack” and Carolyn Hill Harper.
Blackfoot was his home during his youth ad he attended schools here and graduated from Blackfoot High School. He was a member of the National Honor Society in High School and later attended BYU on a Presidential Scholarship.
While in high school, Marvin lettered in both football and track and placed 5th in the state in the intermediate hurdles. He was also on the BYU Track Team.
He was married to Cherie Harding, daughter of Ralph and Willa Conrad Harding, on May 31, 1978, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.
While attending at Brigham Young University he and his wife served as head residents in the Girls Dorm for two years. He did his master’s thesis doing research for N.A.S.A.
He was High Priest in the LDS Church and served a 27 month mission to the Lima, Peru Mission. He recently served as Bishop of the Blackfoot 2nd Ward and had also served as Sunday School teacher, Stake Mission President, Young Men’s President and as Scoutmaster and Explorer Leader.
He worked as an engineer and was a partner in Harper Leavitt Engineering. He was a member of the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers, The American Society of Civil Engineers, was on the Board of Directors, Intermountain Chapter of the American Concrete Institute, a member of the Kiwanis Club, and recently on the Board of Directors for the Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce.
Among the things he enjoyed were riding horses both water and snow skiing, fishing, camping, playing the piano and guitar and playing sports. He especially enjoyed coaching his son John’s soccer team this past summer.
Survivors include his wife, Cherie; his children, Rachel, 14, Ruth, 11, Mary, 9, John Marvin, 7, Martha, 5 and Joseph Ralph, 2; his parents, John and Carolyn Harper, all of Blackfoot; four brothers, Howard Harper of Clovis, Calif.; Steven Harper and David Harper of Provo, Utah, and Matthew Harper of Blackfoot; five sisters, Mrs. Donald (Marianne) Ballash of South Jordan, Utah,; Mrs. Fred (Janalyn) Kesler of Nampa, Idaho,; Mrs. Stewart (Carolee) Smith of Blackfoot, Mrs. Michael (Melodee) Trentman of Yuba City, Calif.;
and Rebecca Harper of Provo, Utah; and grandmothers, Rhoda Parks of Blackfoot and Ruth Harper of St. Anthony, Idaho.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 18, at the Blackfoot 2nd Ward LDS Church 660 Teton Drive, with Bishop Bill Sponenburgh conducting.
The family will meet with friends Sunday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Hill-Sandberg Funeral Home and Monday at the church from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Burial will be in the Grove City Cemetery.
