60th Wedding Anniversary

Val D. and Elva (Todd) Smith will celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, June 4, 2011. Friends and family are welcome to join in the celebration by attending an open house that evening, from 6-8 p.m., at the Syracuse South Stake Center, located at 3065 South Bluff Road in Syracuse, Utah (no gifts, please).

Val and Elva married on June 1, 1951, in the Mesa, Arizona, Temple. Val served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education at BYU. Val and Elva started their life together in Panaca, Nevada, where Val taught in the local grade school. Sons Dale (deceased) and Jerry were born there, and then the family moved to Overton, Nevada, in Moapa Valley where they had five more children born into the family: Roy, Dan, Glen, Peggy, and Judy. Val taught science, music, band, English, biology, electronics, and small appliance repair in the Logandale and Moapa Valley Schools for more than 33 years. Val especially enjoyed teaching his High School Jazz Band classes. He also ran a TV & appliance and repair business to supplement his income in order to provide for his large family. Elva raised 4 boys and 2 girls during this time and was very active in her church and community. She particularly enjoyed volunteering in the school. She worked for the Bishop & Waymire mercantile for a few years until ill health forced her to stay home.

After Val’s retirement, he stayed busy with his business, branching out into videos, books, and satellite sales. Elva became an integral part of Val’s business operations during those years. Later, Val and Elva served an LDS mission in San Antonio, Texas, and both learned to speak Spanish. They served a second mission in the Washington, D.C. Temple and then moved closer to family in Northern Utah. Together, they served a combined total of 42 years as workers in the St. George, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Bountiful, and Ogden temples.

Val and Elva have 22 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.