Valerie Allen Marland was the wife of former Governor of West Virginia William C. Marland

William C. Marland

William Casey Marland , a Democrat, was the 24th Governor of West Virginia from 1953 to 1957. He is best known for his early attempts to tax companies that depleted the state's natural resources, especially coal, as well as overseeing the generally non-violent implementation of school...

 and served as that state's First Lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

 1953-1957. She was born June 16, 1917 at Lacon, Illinois

Lacon, Illinois

Lacon is a city in, and the county seat of, Marshall County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,979 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lacon is located at ....

. She married William C. Marland

William C. Marland

William Casey Marland , a Democrat, was the 24th Governor of West Virginia from 1953 to 1957. He is best known for his early attempts to tax companies that depleted the state's natural resources, especially coal, as well as overseeing the generally non-violent implementation of school...

 in 1942. As first lady, she dedicated most of her time raising their four children. After former governor Marland lost an election to the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 in 1958, the family moved to Barrington, Illinois

Barrington, Illinois

Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...

, where Valerie Marland became a high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

English teacher. The Marlands returned to West Virginia in 1965, but William Marland died of cancer shortly thereafter. Valerie Marland returned to Barrington, where she was killed in an apartment fire in 1977.