MARVIN O. ASHTON
Chairman
Marvin Owen Ashton was born April 8, 1883, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He died October 7, 1946, in Salt Lake City. His father was Edward Treharne Ashton (1855–1923), and his mother was Effie Walker Ashton (née Morris, 1859–1929).
Ashton was born and raised in Utah, as were his parents. Each of his grandparents, however, emigrated from Great Britain—three from Wales and one from England. Although his family background was not Scottish, Ashton developed a strong connection to Scotland as a young missionary there from 1907 to 1909. After his time as a missionary, he returned to Salt Lake City and hosted gatherings for members of the Scottish community, often featuring bagpipe music. His enthusiasm was strong enough that one of his daughters grew up believing the family had Scottish ancestry.
In 1906, Ashton married Rachel Grace Jeremy (1882–1963) in Salt Lake City.
Together, they had seven children: John Jeremy (1906–1906), Afton Grace (1910–1994), Wendell Jeremy (1912–1995), Marvin Jeremy (1915–1994), Eleanor Jeremy (1918–2016), Phyllis (1921–1978), and Edward Jeremy (1924–1941).
Ashton worked as secretary-manager of Sugar House Lumber and was active in local development. He helped with the creation of the Sugar House Monument, completed in 1934 on the site of an 1850s sugar beet mill (the origin of the Sugar House name). The monument remains a local landmark today.
Ashton was a cofounder of the Utah Pipe Band in 1937 and served as its first chairman. He was also chairman of the General Church Music Committee of the Salt Lake–based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became the first counselor in the church's Presiding Bishopric from 1938 until his death in 1946 at the age of 63.