Elmer Garrett

Elmer B. Garrett was born February 5, 1926 in Alma, Arkansas to William and Willie Lee (Edwards) Garrett. He passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at his home in Tuttle, OK. His grandfather lived to be 111 years of age, his mother lived to be 98 and he lived to be 89. He married Joy Juanita Wellmaker on February 2, 1951 at Wichita Falls, TX. Following their marriage he worked at Tinker AFB where he later retired in March of 1982. His parents farmed, raised cotton, wheat and cattle. One of his main chores was cutting wood and pulling cotton and helping with the farming. He got his nickname Neg because whenever he could he would be working on anything mechanical, he always seem to have grease on his hands and face. He enlisted in the US Army on December 7, 1944 and was discharged November 30, 1946. He served in the Philippines and received two Bronze stars during his service. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joy J. (Wellmaker) Garrett; his parents; 2 sisters: Ruth Pendley and Joann King; 4 brothers: Warren Garrett, Eugene Garrett, Bill Garrett and James Garrett. He is survived by his two children: Jeanie Riley of Bastrop, TX and Bruce Garrett of Phoenix, AZ Four grandchildren: Trina Steelman of Yukon, OK; Matt Riley of Tuttle, OK; Stacey Garrett of Yukon, OK; and Rob Garrett of Tuttle, OK and 11 great grandchildren. One brother, Robert Garrett of Tuttle, OK and two sisters: Alice Willard of Oklahoma City, OK and Ruby McDaniel of McLean, VA. Dad remembered cutting wood when he was a young boy, his dad would send Robert, Bill and him to cut wood for the day. Dad said he was also a hard worker while Robert and Bill just sort of goofed off. One day he got mad cause they would not help and he blacked Robert's eye. He said when they got home he got the strip for fighting with his brothers. In the summers after he and Joy married he would take his vacations from Tinker and go to Minco to pull cotton. He said he could pull 100 pounds a day which went to help buy sheets, towels and clothes for the family. Ruby said that Dad enlisted in the army to help his parents. He would send money to help buy lumber after the house burned down. After his dad died he would go to his mother's house every weekend and mow the yard and take care of anything she would need. Dad was a very humble man who did not talk about the things he did for others. Throughout the early years of their marriage they would move from Oklahoma to California about 3 times, because Joy's family had all moved to California and she would get home sick for her parents. Dad would get a job as a mechanic and mom would do secretarial work. Those trip to California were always an adventure. Dad had one speed and it was fast. He would fasted a water bag to the front of the car and there was no stopping, maybe a very quick bite, if we were lucky, and you better keep a bottle handy cause there were not many restroom stops. When Bruce was a junior in high school, in 1969, they finally settled in Tuttle, OK and stayed here the rest of their lives. After they retired they would head out in their camper to Fort Cobb Lake where the family would join them on the weekends. They would play cards and dominos with several of the regular campers. Dad never knew the word "can't", it was never a part of his vocabulary, if he wanted to do something he would work until he got it done, might not look real professional but it was done. Just about a month age he had Baily, his great granddaughter, and two of her friends down to help him do a few things. Uncle Robert walked in and dad was in his scooter bent down sawing a board in the floor with the two girls helping. Dad was a humble man and did not talk about all the things he did to help people. It was not with money, cause there never was a lot of that, but if you needed a car worked on or just a hand for a day or so, he was always ready to help. He might hand down a vehicle to one of the grandchildren or pay for a tank of gas. He was a very kind, generous man, a good man and he will be greatly missed.