Marianne Elizabeth Defa

Marianne was born on January 31, 1943, in Salt Lake City, Utah to William Jerry Merkley and Edna Rowley Rasmussen, and passed away on September 14, 2024 at age 81 at her home in Hanna, Utah. She was raised by her grandparents Jeremiah Hatch Merkley and Vinda Long Merkley, spending her early years at the farm in Bridgeland and later moving to Duchesne. As a teenager, she was very proud to win grand champion steer at the Duchesne County fair. She married Jimmy Defa on October 10, 1959 in Duchesne and then moved to Hanna where the couple raised 7 children, 5 girls and 2 boys.

Over the years, she took in troubled “stray kids,” as she sometimes called them, harboring them from life’s storms. She was kind and loving, but when needed, a firm hand, or wooden spoon produced the desired result. “The look” from mom was often enough for us children to toe the line.

Mom was an excellent cook, seamstress, had a green thumb, raising beautiful gardens full of vegetables and flowers. She canned vegetables, fruit, jam, and jelly. Mom was very intelligent and showed that with her passion for knowledge gained by reading many books, acquiring an extensive aptitude for history and many other fields of study.

She enjoyed taking us to the mountains where we learned to pick wild berries for jam and admire arrowheads left by her favorite people, the Native Americans.

She worked at Conamore in Myton, Utah for 20 years driving school buses and teaching disadvantaged children. Truly, she loved all the children with special needs.

She made us all the people we are today and her absence has left a lasting void in our hearts.
She is survived by the love of her life, Jimmy Defa of Hanna; children Laura (Randy) Harrison of Altamont, Holly Baum of Tabiona, Julie Defa of Roosevelt, Jody (Amy) Defa of Heber City, Rick Carda of Duchesne, Karena (Gus) McPhie of Tabiona, and Marco Defa of St. George; 22 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren; her lifelong friend Joann Cowan of Vernal; sisters Loraine Manganello, Maureen Rasmussen, Carolyn Spencer, and Patti Lingwall; brother and sister-in-law’s, Richard and Gayle Defa, Sharon Giles, Judy and Doug Price.

She is preceded in death by her precious daughter Gena Verlynn Carda; parents William Merkley and Edna Rasmussen; grandparents Jerry and Vinda Merkley; brother Jerry Merkley; mother and father-in-Law, Alfonzo and Viola Defa; son-in-law Paul Baum; brother-in-law’s Geno Defa and Jay Giles.

Our family would like to thank UBMC, Utah Valley Hospital, and Canyon Hospice for their loving care of our mom. A special thank you to our wonderful friends living in the Hanna and Tabiona valley, your love and support truly makes the place we live uniquely beautiful.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Fabrizio’s Over the Hill Park at Fabrizio's Over the Hill RV Park
41191 UT-35, Hanna, UT 84031 on September 21, 2024 starting at 11:30 am.