Marquis Coaston understands the value of precision, whether he’s at the archery range or as a father. Same draw. Same anchor. Every single time. It’s not just technique; it’s who he is.
He brought that same steadiness to his life: eight years in the Navy, a business, a family, a home. And then, in a moment, the things he’d built started slipping away.
A Life Built Together
“When I met my wife Jennifer, that was it,” Marquis said. “She was beautiful. We talked and laughed and hung out, and we didn’t leave each other’s side from there.”
The two built a life together and started raising a family. Marquis took pride in being a father. At any outdoor event, the whole family was there. Every day was an adventure.
Then Jennifer got sick.
“One day she went to the hospital, and she had some bleeding,” Marquis said. “They did the tests and found out she had cancer.”
She fought the cancer for 18 months before she passed. They had spent nearly 16 years together.
“So I lost everything,” Marquis said. “I spent my whole life savings trying to save her life. It was rough. It was rough on everybody.”
A Fresh Start
After Jennifer passed, Marquis knew he and the kids needed a place to rebuild their lives. That meant buying a new home. And that process, with everything he’d been through, felt like one more mountain to climb.
He connected with Veterans United Home Loans and worked with loan officer Aaron Swanner (NMLS #1533682) throughout the process. From the very first call, Aaron could tell this was more than just a home loan transaction.
“Marquis and I’s first phone call was a preapproval call,” Aaron said. “Right out of the gate, he shared with me that he’s a young father. That grew into him sharing with me about his late wife, Jen.”
The road to homeownership was long for Marquis. There were setbacks and moments where the finish line felt further away than it should have, but Aaron kept showing up for his homebuyer.
“His story really was, ‘Hey, something bad’s happened, just when I start seeing the light, something else bad is going to happen,’” Aaron said. “And I just had to keep reminding him he now has somebody as his advocate here that’s not going to quit.”
“Aaron fought for me tooth and nail,” Marquis said. “And it was a long road, but it happened.”
From Loan Officer to Friend
In the time it took to get to closing, Marquis and Aaron talked every single week. And not just about the home loan, but as friends.
“I thought at some point maybe I would get to just kind of go out of the way and see him in person,” Aaron said. “I think my voice will give it away because we talk a lot on the phone, but I don’t know if he’ll recognize my face.”
Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, Aaron decided to surprise Marquis during move-in.
Marquis was outside his new home when an unexpected truck pulled up. Seconds later, Aaron stepped out, disguised as a delivery driver. The moment he revealed who he was, Marquis’ face broke into a huge smile.
The two friends headed to the backyard to catch up as the delivery crew unloaded brand new patio furniture for Marquis’ home.
A Place For His Family to Call Their Own
In his new home, Marquis found something he hadn’t had since losing Jennifer.
“I just wanted a place where, once I have all the kids here, it’s their own little oasis. They can do whatever it is they want to do. That was huge for me. It’s brought the family closer and back together again.”
But the surprises weren’t done. Marquis runs a company called True Visions with his brother, focused on developing camouflage for hunters. It’s more than a business. It’s part of his legacy.
“Everything for me right now is generational,” Marquis said. “So passing things on to my children so they can pass on to their children.”
Veterans United believed in that vision and has a long history of supporting the Veteran community. At the end of the call, Aaron had one more surprise to share with Marquis regarding his business funding needs.
“As of today, you’ve reached your goal of $50,000,” Aaron told him on behalf of Veterans United.
Marquis went quiet for a moment.
“I’m trying to hold back tears, bro,” he said. “You guys are family now. Like, you belong to the Coaston family from now on. My family is grateful. I feel like I’m getting back everything that I lost, in a sense.”
