another blog to Dr. Samuel Garner Jr

James Samuel Garner, Jr.

Date of Birth:

Thursday, February 14th, 1918

Date of Death:

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Funeral Home:

Miller & Richards Funeral Home and Cremation Service Heritage Chapel

1148 North Broad Street

2542 Shorter Ave.

Rome, Georgia, UNITED STATES

30161

Obituary:

Dr. James Samuel Sam Garner Jr.
Dr. James Samuel Sam Garner Jr died on May 18, 2011 at the age of 93. He was born in Floyd County, GA February 14, 1918 and was the son of Dr. James Samuel Garner, Sr and Bonnie Wimpee Garner. Dr. Garner survived his first wife Alice Tate Garner and second wife Betty Hyden Garner.
He is survived by his children Marcia Tate Garner Andrews and her husband Charles Reneau Andrews III of Cumming, GA; John Geston Garner and his wife Bob Ann Allen Garner of Rome; Beth Garner Tibboel and her husband Keith of Charleston, SC. He was predeceased by his daughter Lynne Garner Jordan and his son James Samuel Garner III, and by two grandchildren Allison Ann Garner and James Allen Garner.
He is also survived by family members Ben and Mary Margaret Whittington, Dr. and Mrs. Pope Jordan, and Mrs. Cheryl Garner of Rome, Debbie and John Turner and Bill Hyden of Trion.Dr. Garners grandchildren are Alicia Haff, Laura Baker, Amy Scott, Andrea Garramone, Garner Andrews, Lynne Brons, Betsey Andrews, Margaret Chind, Ches Garner, and Sam Garner. His great grandchildren are Polly and Peter Haff,; Hudson, Truitt and Georgia Baker; Lindsey, Peyton, and Tate Andrews; Edmund, Tess Charlize, Jack, Miriam and Gil Brons and Charlotte Chind.
Dr. Garner attended Wake Forest University and the University of Georgia where he was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate He graduated in December 1943 from Emory University School of Medicine and honorably served in the United States Navy with the Marines in the 2nd Expeditionary Force in the Pacific during World War II. He served again in the Korean War. Dr. Garner was a well loved physician practicing in Rome, GA for over 40 years. He was the author of a popular geneaology work titled Southern Garners, Our Branch of the Garner-Keene Family and of an anecdotal autobiography titled Something Hit The Cotton. He will be sorely missed by those whose lives he enriched.
Visitation will be at the Miller-Richards Heritage Chapel Friday evening from 6 until 8 PM . A Celebration of Life will be conducted at 10 AM Saturday, May 21,2011 at the Miller Richards Heritage Chapel. Private interment will follow at Sunset Hill Memory Garden. Please visit our website www.millerandrichardsfuneralhome.com to sign the guestbook and share memories.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Salvation Army, 317 East First Avenue Rome GA 30161 or the Heyman HospiceCare P.O. Box 163 Rome, GA 30162.
The Heritage Chapel of the Miller Richards Funeral Home, 1148 North Broad Street, Rome GA is serving the family of Dr. James Samuel Sam Garner, Jr.

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Nobody is perfect

     No one is perfect all the time.  Even my wonderful, loyal and sweet husband.  I say this because at 3 am this morning I was WOKEN up by a soft voice saying, "The Mavs won, I wish I'd seen it."  He turned the game off when the Mavs were down 15 with 5 minutes left.  At that point I didn't care.  I was pissed that he had woken me up with this USELESS information.  When I found out what time it was he went and slept on the couch.  He is currently hoping they will replay the entire 5 minutes.  For those of that don't know me, I have significant trouble sleeping and when I do get to sleep it is a very light sleep.  Anyone that dares to wake me up will face the wrath of a grumpy fussy Andrea.
     At this point I would like to get heavy red and gold curtains for the guest bedroom so I can sleep in there when Mike gets annoying.  I want to tell all of the married people out their to have an extra, dark, QUIET place in case your partner decides to idiotically wake you up.  Mike has been forgiven and is out of danger.  He is happy because he is seeing the game that he missed.  I am fine because he went to the couch of his own volition... what a smart man.  I have never kicked him out of bed before.  He will kick himself out of bed for minor infractions and I will tell him to please sleep in our bed.  He had no such luck last night.
   
     My grandfathers flag is on top of the bookcase in the living room.  That is where we spend most of our time and entertain guests.  I am very proud of the flag. 

Definitions

I was Not humbled to receive his flag.  I was honored.  I used to not make a habit of using words that I apparently did not know the meaning of.  However since the surgery I have forgotten what several words mean, much to my dismay.   I looked like a fool I tell you a FOOL!!!
   Oh heavens, I sent out thank you cards maybe I can intercept them before they go out.  I hope I can.   Not humbled HONORED HONORED HONORED.  
      I am such an Idiot!!!
If I could go back to 3rd grade I would because I need to relearn that stuff.

Something hit the cotton requests

I have recently received requests for copies of Dr. Sam Garners' humorous autobiographical sketches.  It is an unpublished "book" of his years during the depression and wars.  My aunt has agreed to make copies and send them out to anyone who wants it.

 I will be glad to print more copies of "Something  Hit the Cotton". To print and mail more I will need to charge $7.50. So have anyone who wants a copy mail a check for $7.50 to address, 6479 Valley Stream Dr. Cumming, GA 30040, made out to The Garner Cemetery Trust.

In addition Grandaddy was the family genealogist.  He traced the Garner family line back to the 1600s.  It is very informative and he did all the research before the days of internet.
 
So, if you would like a copy of that: 
 If anybody other than Daddy's descendants wants a copy of Southern Garners they are $35 which includes shipping. They should send a check to the address listed above made to the Garner Cemetery Trust also. I will send free ones to Daddy's descendants.

Highest Honor

     Dr. James Samuel Garner Jr. was laid to rest yesterday.  I was honored, not to mention stunned when my aunt Mardi (now the matriarchof the family) asked me if I would ride in the Limo to the funeral, I humbly accepted.  The funeral was beautiful and Charlies' words were eloquent and touching.  It was everything that Grandaddy would have wanted.  Charlie made us cry then he made us laugh.  Then my cousin stood up and said a prayer, we sang a few hymns and the ceremony closed.  However when following Beth behind the casket I saw her wipe a tear away and the emotions swelled.  It wasn't a huge loss of my emotions but I cried, (I actually lost it a little) for the first time that day but not the last. 
  
     We followed the casket to the cemetery where Grandaddy was laid to rest beside his one true love and soulmate Grandmamma (Sweet Alice). Garner read the marine poem "Crossing the Bar" which as he said was absolutely perfect. The ceremony was concluded with the folding of the American flag.  Grandaddy would have been amused at the fact the marine doing the folding had to stop twice, go back a couple folds, tighten, and refold.  The marine then presented Johns' wife, Bobanne with the flag.  After the service I was the first to walk up to marines and thank them, it came out as a whisper because I just knew if I tried to speak any louder my voice would crack.

      My aunt Mardi walked up to me with the flag and did something so unexpected it floored me.  She said they had discussed it and decided I should have the flag.  I was so touched, honored, humbled and shocked that I almost lost it right there in the middle of the cemetery. 

     After a visit with the family everyone started to leave.  Needless to say it had been a HARD couple of days.  I got in the booger mobile (my booger colored rental) and drove to the cemetery.  I had to do this for my own sanity.  When I got there it was cleaned up and Grandaddy was in the ground.  I sat down and let it all out. I try not to cry in public, so I felt safe there at his grave.  I told him how much I love him and how I know he will be watching over me....and so on and so forth.  I know he was there because I felt him and I actually heard him say "That's enough" I know it sounds CRAZY but that is what happened.  He would say "Stop crying, that's enough"  As it type I am getting a lump in my throat.

     I cried on the plane so much that my face and eyes burned from the stings of tears.  It was a pretty empty flight and I chose a seat in the front by the window, (as private as one can get in a flying tube), I read the eulogy again and cried.  Then I read "Something Hit the Cotton" and laughed.  But by the time we landed and Mike picked me up I was ready to really let it ALL out.  So in the car prior to leaving I shoved the emotional block aside and unabashedly bawled into my husband shirt.  After that I felt better.  We went to dinner with friends and I brought out "Something Hit the Cotton".  Natalie laughed hard at the Calhoun Falls train ride, Paul guffawed at the fact they took a COW through the house and lead her OFF the roof, Adam was intrigued by the fact that I have just as hard a head as my Grandaddy.  Which I have to say my hard head had saved my neck more than a few times.

     I woke up after a dream about him.  There were no details, just a familiar place.  The house that Sam built.  Only it was brand new and Grandmamma was there, Grandaddy was young, and they were happy.  I reckon that I saw a glimpse of heaven and that gives me comfort because now I know I am going to be fine.  Grandaddy is happy again.

     I have been fervently praying for years for him to pass with no pain.  I just neglected to pray for the living to not have pain. 

     A poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye touched me

“Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight.
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there — I do not die. ”

Memories

    When someone dies just know they are at peace an always will be.  Never again will they have to deal with the trials and tribulations of life here on this earth.  I find comfort in not thinking of it as an ending but as the beginning of a brand new chapter.  Unfortunately you will not know what death is like until it happens to you, and then you can't tell anybody about it.  I think of that as Gods gotcha moment.
     I have seen a whole lot of people that I don't remember but they remember me.  When I look confused the all say "I could never forget you Andrea".  I don't know if this is good or bad or a little of both.

    Tomorrow is the funeral and Charlie (my uncle) is going to tell stories as a eulogy.  Grandaddy was a really funny guy, if you didn't get to meet him read "Something Hit the Cotton"  it is a humorous autobiography.  My father took a cues from him on boyfriends.  He didn't learn their names until they were around for at least 6 months.  Then he called them the wrong name on purpose (trying to get a rise out them?) more likely to show them they need to earn his respect.  That was hard.  Grandaddy did not like being kissed by his grandchildren which seemed a little cold until Dad put it in perspective.  He comes home from a long day of dealing with whiny kids, (Being a pediatrician) sit s down outside with a drink and friends trying to shrug the day off and some little snot nose kid come and slobers all over you.  I think I respect him for that.

     I remember when I came to 90th birthday as a surprise.  I had not seen him move so fast in years.  I was flattered.  Of course he apparently wore himself out with the effort and gout and had to sit for the rest of the time we were there.  I remember his laugh, his hugs, above all his unyielding support.  I remember the time he took one of my boyfriends out on the golf cart and showed him around his property.  I think he just wanted to get to know him.  His name was Joe so Grandaddy called him Marvin or Herbert or Billy. 

     When Grandaddy met Michael he immediately called him by his correct name and seemed pleased that I found someone that was not only willing to but excited about sharing the rest of my life with.  That day I found out that Grandaddy was scheduled to storm a beach in the war but we dropped a bomb that saved his life.  That bomb saved ALL our lives because he did not have children yet.  See Told you God has a plan and everything happens for a reason.