Wife swears she never set up an iCloud account. We can't access to reset the password or reset the phone. Is there anything VZW can do to help us? Is our phone now a brick?
Go into an Apple Store. They should be able to assist.
When you set up an iPhone or iPad etc. It prompts you to setup an Apple id and password.
Someone must have set it up that is why it wants it now.
http://www.apple.com/support
Apple ID - Password - Apple Support
Good Luck
You could try restoring the phone using iTunes and DFU mode. I don't know what that would do for the data on the phone though. Might try pulling the photos and such off of the device and restoring it as a new device?
Enter DFU Mode | Restore Iphone without any errors