Verlin Louise Garner

Verlin Louise Garner, 91, passed away Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at Forest Cove Nursing and Rehab Center. Verlin was born December 29, 1927 in the Beech Bluff community of Madison County to Ruben Reid and Flora Dorcus Armstrong Johnson. She was a member of Rocky Springs Primitive Baptist Church. She graduated from Beech Bluff High School in 1946. After graduation she moved to Jackson with Gertrude Williams Bowman, Ruth Elkins Newman, and Margaret McMurry Smith to begin working for Bell South as a telephone operator. On November 22, 1947 she married Joe T. Garner in Corinth, MS, and they made their home in Jackson. She left her job at Bell South in 1952 after the birth of their son Jeff. In October 1965 she began working for Sears, Roebuck and Co. as a telephone operator and then in customer service, where she retired after 25 years. Verlin and Joe enjoyed many years of gardening and canning vegetables. Verlin was a wonderful cook who always had food prepared for anyone who stopped by for a visit. If you werent hungry for a meal you certainly could not leave without enjoying a piece of cake or a slice of pie. If you left her house hungry or thirsty it was your own fault. During the holidays she loved to prepare a variety of candies and cookies to share with family, friends, and neighbors. Verlin also loved doing crafts, especially quilting, cross-stitch, crocheting, and needlework. She and Joe enjoyed traveling but she always said the best part of a trip was returning home. Many afternoons they could be found on their front porch, visiting with neighbors, and waiving at drivers passing by on Mifflin Rd. Verlin was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 61 years Joe T. Garner, and her brother Harold Johnson. She is survived by her son, Jeff (Cathy) Garner of Milan, grandson Bradley Garner of Nashville, granddaughter Whitney (Jeremy) Dethloff and great-grandson Joyner Harvey Dethloff of Greenfield. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Pat Johnson Wells, nephews Rob (Linda) Johnson, all of Jackson, and Del (LeeAnn) Johnson and great-niece Mackenzie Johnson of Milan; brother-in-law, Fred Garner, and sister-in-law, Reba David, both of Jackson. In her honor serving as pallbearers are Bradley Garner, Jeremy Dethloff, Rob Johnson, Del Johnson, Arthur Armstrong, Barry Buckley, and Charlie Garner. Honorary pallbearers include Neal Allison, Barry David, Scott David, Paul Gullett, and Curt Harston. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 11, 2019 at 11:00 am at Lawrence-Sorensen Funeral Home, Jackson, with Bro. Charles Whitten officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Sunday, and again on Monday from 10:00 until the time of service. Jeff and his family would like to thank the nurses and CNAs at Forest Cove Memory Care Unit and Dr. Jere Hammond, and his nurses, who provided the best care imaginable to Mrs. Garner during her extended illness. There are so many people who touched her life in the past eight years there is no way to list them all. The family requests donations in lieu of flowers are made to the Alzheimers Association. Proverbs 31: 28-29 "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Verlin Louise Garner, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.