Obituary of Velma Moore Garrett

Velma Moore Garrett, loving mother, passed from this life into eternity, Sunday, October 21, 2018. 

She was preceded in death by parents, Lilbon and Sallie Moore; husband, Harold Garrett; sister,  Buena Margaret Special; brothers, Thomas Moore, George Moore and Lyndon Moore.

She is survived by sister, Lessie Pautz and husband Solon; daughter, Elise Garrett; son, Stan Garrett and wife Martha; granddaughter, Annie Garrett Patterson and husband Seth; grandson Cody Maynard and wife Jenna; great grandchildren, Ethan, Braydan and Cadan Maynard; special friend, Gloria Keel and many other family members and friends.

Velma was born March 6, 1923 in Avery, TX.  When she was 18 years, 7 months old, WWII started and she moved to Ft. Worth to live with older sister Buena. The war effort was in full swing and she worked for Consolidated Aircraft Building the B-24 Liberator Heavy Bomber.  She was first assigned as a Rivet Bucker but weighing less than 100 pounds, the rivet gun would just bounce her backwards instead of expanding the rivet.  She laughed that she was not a “Rosie the Riveter”.  Instead she installed the wiring harnesses in the nose and under the dash of the B-24s since she was small enough to fit in the tight places.

After college and the war, she worked at RRAD as a teletype operator on the second shift.  She rode a bus to and from the Depot. This was in 1946, when the Phantom Killer depicted in the movie, “The Town that Dreaded Sundown” was being hunted.  The bus would let her off at the railroad tracks by the Avery Methodist Church about 2:00 AM.  Velma would take off her shoes and run down the dirt road along the railroad tracts to her parents’ house which was between the old Masonic Lodge and cemetery. One night a neighbor’s cow, Molly was laying in the dirt road and Velma hit Molly at a full speed sprint.  Velma recalled that she did a complete flip over the cow, landing on her feet and kept running.  Molly bellowed loudly and Velma said she wasn’t sure if she or Molly was more surprised.

In July, Velma married Harold Garrett who was still in the Navy and for the next 20 years, they lived up and down the East coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Key West, Florida. On their Honeymoon, they went to New York City and Velma was very excited about visiting the big city with all the sights and shopping.  Harold was a huge baseball fan and “just happened” to drive by Yankee Stadium at the appropriate time to attend a double header ball game.  Luckily enough for their unborn children, Harold was wise enough to take her shopping after the ballgame.

Harold retired after 20 years in the Navy and they returned to Avery, TX to raise cattle and had a fruit orchard.  Velma worked at the Red River County ASCS office and later at Red River Army Depot until she retired.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at the Avery United Methodist Church.  Visitation will be an hour before service time at the church.  Burial will follow in Avery Cemetery under the direction of Clarksville Funeral Home.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Avery UMC, 390 W. Alabama, Avery, TX  75554 or Encompass Care, 3809 East 9^th St., Suite 10, Texarkana, AR 71854.