Gerald D. Willden was born December 26, 1925, in Mayfield, Utah. He grew up on a farm and enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was seventeen years old. He trained in California before being sent to the Pacific. He engaged in combat in the Marianas Islands and Japan. When he returned from the war, he married his wife, who had grown up with him in Mayfield. They had four children. He worked for drilling and mining companies which required the family to move many times. They lived in Sparks, Nevada for a few years. When Gerald retired, the family returned to Mayfield and continued to farm. He passed away February 27, 2019.