My name is Velvet Marshall, and I’m raising funds to lay my mother, Ouida Gayle Marshall, to rest near her beloved husband and son at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

My mother lived a life of resilience, grit, and quiet strength. She was brilliant, stubborn, fiercely private, and deeply loyal. She didn’t ask for much, but before she passed, she made one thing clear: she wanted to be buried beside the family she lost — the people she never stopped loving.

Forest Lawn has offered me the most affordable options ranging from $8,000 to $11,000, with a 10% down payment and a payment plan of $200 per month for five years. As much as I want to make this happen on my own, I can’t — not after the year I’ve had.

Since early 2024, I’ve endured a cascade of medical setbacks. I fell while gardening and broke both my feet and ankles, spent a month in the hospital, and another five months unable to walk or care for myself. I tripped again later and shattered the heel of my foot. I’ve since been diagnosed with osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, and Dupuytren’s contracture, which is slowly crippling my hands.

In January, while still in a wheelchair, I had to evacuate during the Palisades fire, not knowing if we’d have a home to return to. That same month, my mom was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia. And just recently, while visiting family and grieving her loss, I fell again and fractured my ribs.

I’ve been unable to work consistently, and I’m also in debt for $6,000 — the balance owed on a $12,000 set of dentures I had made for my mom. Sadly, she never got to use them.

All I want now is to honor her final wish — to bring her home, to the people she loved.

If you’re able to help — with a donation or by sharing this fundraiser — it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for helping me give my mother the dignity, peace, and family she deserves.

With gratitude,

Velvet Marshall

To learn more about my mom’s life, you can read her obituary here:

Passages: Ouida Gayle Marshall (née Baker) - Topanga New Times https://share.google/bemu1QfhRWNwOy5sy