Bill Garrett

Ancestors

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Biography

He was born on 23 Oct 1931 in in Cushing, Oklahoma, USA and was the son of Ethel Anna (Mitchell) ^[1] and Delmont Ralph Garrett. ^[2]

Bill(y) Ray Garrett married Yvonne French.

He passed away on 31 Oct 2016 in Nacogdoches, Texas, USA. ^[3]

Obituaries

Billy Garrett was born in Cushing, Oklahoma, to Ralph and Ethel Garrett the second of six children. The family also lived in California and later in Texas City, Texas, where he met his future wife, Yvonne. Billy began working at Monsanto where he stayed for 35 years. Billy and Yvonne raised their four children in Texas City where he was very active in his church by singing in the church choir and leading Bible Classes and Youth Groups. Billy also had a love of photography and was most often seen with his camera in hand, photographing beautiful scenes in nature and the family that he loved. His photographs won various local awards in each town where he lived.

After retiring from Monsanto at the age of 54, Billy and Yvonne moved to Jefferson, Texas, where they once again enjoyed participating in their church and church choir, community groups, and entertaining friends and family. In July of 2003, Billy and Yvonne moved to Nacogdoches where they continued to give of themselves to the church and others in service and in song. Billy Garrett sang beautifully for the Lord in church choirs for over 60 years! And yet he was best known for his kind and loving Christian spirit that he shared with everyone he met, and especially with the love of his life, Yvonne, his wife of 63 years.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Ethel Garrett; his step-mother, Laura Garrett; and his siblings, Bobbie Keeton, Paul Garrett, and Patsy Medley.

He is survived by his wife, Yvonne Garrett; his children, Steven Garrett, Kathy Turner, Forrest Garrett, and Alison Ishmael; and his sons and daughters-in-law, Leslie Turner, Eva Garrett, and Scott Ishmael. He was also blessed with 13 grandchildren in the United States (Texas, Colorado, South Carolina, and New Jersey), Sweden, and Germany and numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

We all love him and will miss him greatly but look forward to being with him again when we sing with him together before the Lord! ^[4]

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Billy Ray Garrett was born October 23, 1931 in Cushing, Oklahoma, to Ralph and Ethel Garrett the second of six children. He died on October 31, 2016 in Nacogdoches, Texas.

After the Texas City explosion in 1947 the Garrett family moved to Texas City to help an uncle with a tire business with tire repairs during the rebuilding. Billy had spent part of almost every year in Oklahoma in the hospital with pneumonia. After the move to Texas he did not have further hospitalizations for pneumonia.

He met Yvonne French when they were in high school. She heard him singing on the school bus and asked for an introduction. The next month they began dating, and there was never anyone else for either of them. They dated for five years and were married on May 24, 1953.

Billy was highly intelligent. He had the highest average of any male in his high school graduation class at Texas City High School. He worked at Monsanto Chemical for 35 years, retiring at 54.

Billy and Yvonne raised four children – two boys and two girls. They now live in Missouri, San Marcos, Texas, Sweden and Nacogdoches. Since the children were young they have all been active in church. Billy and Yvonne were choir members in high school and were in church choirs for about sixty years. Both daughters have been public school music teachers, church choir members and one has been a church organist. The boys have been church choir members, organist, and a pastor. Billy & Yvonne worked with church youth. When their children put the notice of his death on the internet the family received notes from numerous people who almost always referred to Billy’s sweet smile and great voice. He was still singing in a choir for elderly folks who sang at nursing homes. When Yvonne told him that she had heard a voice that told her she needed to be a Methodist local pastor when she was almost sixty, he said, "If you did that, what would I do?" She said, "Come with me and sing!" And he did, and was much loved.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Ethel Garrett; his step mother, Laura Garrett; and his siblings, Bobbie Keeton, Paul Garrett, and Patsy Medley. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne Garrett; his children, Steven Garrett, Kathy Turner, Forrest Garrett, and Alison Ishmael; and his sons and daughters-in-law, Leslie Turner, Eva Garrett, and Scott Ishmael.

He was also blessed with 13 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. We all love him and will miss him greatly but look forward to being with him again when we sing with him together before the Lord! --submitted by his wife, Rev. Yvonne F. Garrett ^[5]

Siblings

1. Ralph Garrett
2. Ethel Claywell
3. Bobbie Jean (Garrett) Keeton ^[6]
4. Paul Louis Garrett ^[7]
5. Patsy June (Garrett) Medley ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #114246588 for mother Ethel Anna Garrett
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #114246499 for father, Delmont Ralph Garrett
3. ↑ Obituary published in the "Galveston News"
4. ↑ Obituary at funeral home for Billy Ray Garrett
5. ↑ 2017 Journal, Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church p14-15
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #76474064 for sister, Bobbie Jean Keeton
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #114246833 for brother, Paul Louis Garrett
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #157281939 for sister, Patsy June Medley

• Find A Grave: Memorial #685234 for a different Billy Ray Garrett, SMSGT (1933-1996) which also includes this profile's parents and siblings