- Date Of Birth: August 28, 1928
- Date Of Death: July 27, 2016
- State: Utah
Marvin Sidney Hill was the youngest of four children born to Emma Wirthlin Hill and Clarence Henry Hill, both of Salt Lake City, Utah. Being born and reared in Washington, D.C., he developed an early interest in United States history, which became his life’s work. He recalled to his children seeing the last of the Civil War veterans marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. Despite frequent, serious illness from allergies and asthma, he was from a young age, a hard worker, an avid reader, and a devoted sports fan.
Though his father had a government job, money was hard to come by during the Great Depression when Marvin was growing up. Yet his parents believed in education, and all four of their children were well educated as adults. Marvin’s first playmate was his twin sister, Marjorie, with whom he shared a deep affection. His older brother, Bob, whom he admired and tried to emulate, encouraged his love of sports. Marvin played catcher to Bob’s pitches. One time Bob threw the ball so hard that it broke both of Marvin’s pinkie fingers. They were never set. Bob later became a professional baseball player. His sister Donna, as the oldest, created many fun games for her younger siblings to play, and they were her devoted playmates.
In 1951, after serving a Latter-day Saint mission to the “Western States,” Marvin met the love of his life, Lila Foster, in Washington D.C. when they were both working there. In the fall of that year, he convinced her to attended Brigham Young University too, so they could continue their courtship. After their marriage in 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple, Marvin and Lila settled into a one-room house in Provo Utah with no modern conveniences. As a student, Marvin hitchhiked to Salt Lake to do research at the Church Historian’s Office, as he had no car. He took heavy course loads, completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in the spring of 1955 and his Masters degree in the summer of the same year.
Marvin and Lila moved to Chicago in 1955 where he accepted a full scholarship at University of Chicago to study under eminent historian Sidney E. Mead. However, his advisor quit the university in the middle of his program. So Marvin took a job for three years at Eastern Carolina College while the University scrambled for a replacement of Mead, Martin Marty. This interruption would destroy many lesser-devoted scholars, but Marvin and Lila persevered so that he could complete his doctorate in 1968. Lila edited his prose and typed and retyped his dissertation while taking care of their ever-growing family. By the time of his graduation from University of Chicago, they had four children and would go on to have two more.
Marvin started his career teaching at Brigham Young in 1966. He would lecture, without notes, to hundreds of students, but he also enjoyed one-on-one time with his students and his colleagues. He and Lila made many life-long friends in Washington, Provo, and Chicago amongst other starving students. He was a recognized and accomplished historian and author of many journal articles and author or co-author of several books on Mormon history. Two of these were given Mormon History Association prizes: Carthage Conspiracy: the Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith, written with Dallin H. Oaks; and Quest for Refuge: the Mormon Flight from American Pluralism.
Marvin served as President of the Mormon History Association from 1992-93. After his 27-year career at Brigham Young, Marvin retired to Orem, Utah, where he enjoyed rekindling his friendship with his brother Bob, taking family vacations with his children, and attending sports events. Though doctors throughout his life thought he would not live, he lived a long and productive life, almost to the age of 88. To his last Marvin was devoted to his wife and told her time and again how proud he was of his children (Linda, Leslie, Laura, Jeffery, Steven, and Melanie) and grandchildren (Claire, Natalie, Warren, Lucie, Chad, Sydney, Gabriel, Caden, Bryant, Taylor, Alex, Jacob, Eliza, Darren, Madeline, Hayley, Blake, and Alexis.)
Obituary for Marvin Sidney Hill
August 28, 1928 – July 27, 2016
Marvin Sidney Hill, the youngest of four children of Emma Wirthlin and Clarence H. Hill, of Salt Lake City, UT, was reared in Washington, D.C. He had an early interest in U.S. history. Despite frequent illness, he was a hard worker, an avid reader, and a devoted sports fan. His dearest playmates were siblings: Donna, Robert, and twin sister, Marjorie.
In 1951, after serving an L.D.S. “Western States” mission, Hill returned to D.C where he met the love of his life, Lila Foster of Whitney, ID. They attended BYU. After their marriage in 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple, he took heavy course loads and worked as a janitor to complete a BA in the spring of 1955 and an MA that summer. They moved to Chicago in 1955 for his full scholarship at University of Chicago. Lila typed his dissertation while taking care of their growing family. They made many life-long friends in Washington, Provo, and Chicago. He completed his PhD in 1968, but started teaching at BYU in 1966. He was an accomplished historian and author of many journal articles and five books, including Carthage Conspiracy: the Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith, written with Dallin H. Oaks; and Quest for Refuge: the Mormon Flight from American Pluralism.
In 1992, Hill was President of the Mormon History Association. After 27 years he retired to Orem, UT to rekindle friendships, take family vacations, and attend sports events. To his last, he was devoted to Lila and was proud of his children and their families: Linda Marie and George E. Mount; Leslie Anne Hill and Patrick D. Sullivan; Laura Mae and Michael S. Miller; Jeffery F. and Mary Judd Hill; Steven G. and Caralee Garner Hill; and Melanie Jean and Jesse Moulton.
