Welcome. What a tragic story. I'm sorry to hear that.

Yes it is best to socialize any dog at a young age but you do have to be careful.

There are some safer places to socialize a pup, like car rides, friends & relatives homes where you know the history, obedience classes (reputable ones anyways).

The main places to stay away from is entirely public places, places where anyone & anything is allowed. Even though obedience classes are public, they are strict on their rules (UTD on vaccines etc..) Public parks are the worst.

I just want to point out that not only should you search for a dog that is older, but you want to make sure it has already had its series of shots before you aquire the pup. No matter what the age there is a good chance you can get a dog that has not had any or only its first series of vaccines.
ALSO you want to wait 2 weeks AFTER the last vaccine until you bring her into your home & out & about.

The best bet would be to wait 6 months (I know its hard) but parvo can live for 6 months.

You can also have your vet run a titre to find out how well your prospective dog will fare in a parvo-infected environment.

Have you checked local shelters?

Adult dogs usually have a higher immune system.

good luck in finding a pup that suits your needs