Max and Mava Walters are our Senior Spotlight for July. Mava was born in Salt Lake City on July 15, 1942, but her family moved to Salem when she was six months old, so she is an original "Salem" girl. Her parents were Wilford and Virgie Hunt. Max was born in Dillon, Montana on February 10, 1941. They moved to Sugar City, Idaho when he was 10. His parents were Glenn and Lola Walters. They have lived off and on in Salem since 1965.
Mava's brother, LeGrand, was a missionary companion to Max, but they didn't meet through him. Max grew up with a girl in Sugar City whose parents had moved to Salem. She told Max she wanted to take him to visit her parents and his missionary companion, LeGrand, and that LeGrand also had a sister she wanted him to meet. When they got to the Hunt home, Mava answered the door. A voice said to Max, "Here is the girl that it will be good for you to marry." He said he didn't even think he said hello to Mava because he was listening to the voice. They got engaged the next week. They met on March 10, 1963 and were married on July 12, 1963. They have three boys and three girls: Brent (Allison) Walters, Spanish Fork; Kerry (Jodi) Walters, Las Vegas; Sherri (John) Veatch, Salem; Karen Walters (deceased); Scott (Valorie) Walters, Salem; and Linda (Scott) Rogers, Salem. They have 22 grandchildren and in October will have their first great-grandchild.
They lived in Provo for two years while Max attended BYU. Max said he has always been interested in business since he was a little kid. His dad was a carpenter but he wasn't interested in that profession. He remembers walking the streets in Sugar City and having the desire to buy some of the old abandoned homes so he could fix them up. For 13 years, Max sold life and health insurance. The last few years he has sold real estate concurrent with the insurance. He started 40 something years ago in real estate, fixing up property to sell. Max has been President of the Utah Association of Mortgage Brokers. When real estate got slow in Utah, they moved to Chandler, and then Mesa, Arizona from 1985-1991. They again moved to Gilbert, Arizona from 2002 to 2004, selling real estate. They always returned to Salem.
Mava said after Linda got in school she started in the mortage industry, which she still does. They have owned and operated Best Mortgage Corporation, Best USA Realty, and Best Books and Music. Yes, Max writes songs and the music for them. His mother was an author and wrote "The Grape Fruit Syndrome",and other books along with articles for the Ensign Magazine. Max has produced some music CDs with songs he has written. He has written over 136 songs along with the music. He played the trumpet and used to play in a dance band at Ricks College. He also gave trumpet lessons. He has suffered three heart attacks, a stroke, and now MS and is unable to play anymore. Max likes to do puzzles and is now working on an 8,000 piece puzzle which he has 70% complete. When his health permitted, he liked to hike. He has hiked most of the mountains around here. At one time he was on the Salem Volunteer Fire Department.
Mava said she likes to read and study the scriptures. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she teaches Relief Socety. When she was at Spanish Fork HIgh School she was the captain of the softball team. She said Joyce Henderson and Evelyn Christensen were her Young Woman Softball Coaches. They took State two years in a row. While in High School she went to Girl's State. Growing up her family owned the farm where the BYU Dairy was located. She remembers getting up to milk cows at 5:00 in the morning and milking again at 5:00 in the evening. She also helped with the irrigation. There were only about 250 famiilies in Salem then. When there were enough members to divide the Salem First Ward, her father was called as the first Bishop of the Salem Second Ward.
Neither likes spicy hot food. Max says he likes fruits and vegetables and loves Mava's homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and a good steak from Ruby River. Mava, being raised on a farm, likes vegetables.
When asked what they like about Salem, they said looking at the pretty mountains, the peaceful "City of Peace", and the fun of a small town. Salem is a good place to raise a family. Max said, "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy."
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Senior Spotlight, Salem City Newsletter, July 2015, page 3