Valarie Merrill was born on
February 13th, 1973. Her parents chose the name Valarie because she
was born so close to Valentine’s Day. She was the 4th child in a
line of 7. The family lived in Cache Valley, Utah, near Logan. They were a
close family, and spent a lot of time with their grandparents in the valley.
Valarie remembers playing “Bones” (Dominoes) with her mother’s parents. Her
grandpa loved games, but especially that one and Skip-Bo. He sang her the traditional
song “Valdori,” filling in her name in place of “valdori”. Her dad’s mother
lived in a little trailer home nearby, and there they would watch shows like “Lawrence
Welk” on the tiny black and white tv and play “Annie-I-Over” over the top of
the little home.
Valarie’s dad, Ross, had a rare
disease called Stiff-Man Syndrome. Because of the symptoms, it was hard for him
to hold a job. He worked a variety of jobs during her childhood, including
printing and raising rabbits for their fur. She watched as he skinned the
rabbits, which her family then ate. Valarie still loves the smell of ink
because of her dad’s love of printing. When she was 11, he died from the
illness. Valarie’s mom, Sandra, had to return to school at Utah State
University to get a degree which would support the family. The family was very
poor, since Ross couldn’t hold a steady job, and they were paying medical
bills. They were a strong LDS family and they were blessed by the Bishop’s
Storehouse and the organization of the Church after Ross’ death. It was a very
hard time for the family, but it also strengthened them as a unit. Sandy got a
degree as an elementary school teacher and taught 2nd grade until
her retirement.
During her teenage years,
Valarie served as her school’s choir president, an officer in the Spanish Club,
and a member of Show Choir. Rather than babysitting for an income as many
teenagers, she would be paid to clean bathrooms or scrub out garbage cans, which
she preferred to babysitting. Also during her teenage years, she started having
symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a very painful mental illness. She
did not diagnose or treat the illness for many years, but the symptoms had a
large effect on the rest of her life.
When she was 18, Valarie
graduated from Mountain Crest High School as one of several 4.0 valedictorians
in a class of 300. She lived at home while attending Utah State University. During
her first semester, she met Shayne Rich, who was in her ward and several of her
classes. Though they had never met before, their fathers had served on the
Stake high counsel together and they had graduated from the same high school
several years apart. They dated, and then he had to leave for military Basic
Training in Missouri. She knew she would miss him, and to distract herself she
spent one semester at Brigham Young University working. Soon after she and he
both got back to Logan, they were engaged, and they were married in January, a
month before her 20th birthday.
Valarie graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in information management and Shayne followed several years
later with a master’s in mechanical engineering. By then, they had 4 kids, and
they soon moved from their little house near Logan to a brand new one about 15
minutes away. Valarie says that living in that house was the hardest time of
her life. Soon after the family moved in, the basement began flooding. The
contractor was not competent and had built the house unsafely, but although
they pressed for reimbursement, he would never suffer any consequences.
Finances were very tight. They did everything they could think of, but nothing
helped with the water problem. Shayne was working long and stressful hours. Extended
family problems added stress as well. After three years, that house finally
sold and they moved. Two years later, because of stressful work situations,
they decided to move the family to Des Moines, Iowa.
The move was hard on the family,
but Shayne’s new job with John Deere was a great blessing. In Iowa, Valarie
served as the ward Relief Society president for several years, and is now
serving as Relief Society president in a brand new branch. Three of her four
children are still at home, and one is attending Brigham Young
University-Idaho. Valarie has a solid and deep testimony of the Gospel. She has
a gift for service and for organization, and has been successful at everything
she has attempted in life. She says that the best thing in her life is her
family, both her parents and siblings, and her husband and children, whom she
is very devoted to. She sets a great example for her children and for others
who she lives and works with.
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