Marguerite was born on Sept. 10, 1924, in Murfreesboro, Tn., to the late Raymond and Bessie Sanders. She was the youngest of five children and the last living survivor of her family. As a young girl, her father would take her on the horse and buggy to get ice cream. She was a member of the drama program at school and enjoyed playing basketball in high school.
While working as a waitress, Marguerite met her husband, the late Joseph Vella. They were married for 57 years, 35 of which they spent in the Philippine Islands as missionaries of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. It was during their first term that Marguerite became very ill and the family returned home. She overcame multiple surgeries to regain her health and the family was then able to return to the Philippines several years later.