Gary Lee Garner was born on Sept 6, 1940 in Mason, Texas to Henry Melvin Garner and Ima Faye Allen.  He passed away on Saturday, July 31, 2021.

Gary first attended school in Streeter, TX.  After one year he rode a bus to the school in Mason.  His grandfather would sometimes be plowing his field in the afternoon.  He would conveniently be at the end of a row where the bus stopped.  Gary would jump off the bus, hop up on the tractor and drive it while the kids on the bus watched.  He was the first grandchild in the Allen Family and he knew his position.

After his dad returned from World War II, the family moved to Mason.  Gary enjoyed playing with his cousins and roaming around town all summer as youngsters did back then.  A favorite spot was the old swimming hole near the old Scout Hut.

Gary joined the Army and also served in the Army Reserves.

In 1962, he was pumping gas at Armour Service Station.  Gladys Fay Stahl was working as a waitress next door at Armour's Cafe.  Of course he had to eat often and they became friends.  On June 15, 1963 they were married in the Parish Hall as St. Joseph Catholic Church was being remodeled at the time.  They were blessed with two sons, Henry in 1968 and Patrick in 1972.  They fell right into his love of hunting and fishing every chance they got.   They loved to go fishing with him at the lake and the further the lake was away from home the better the fishing.  As much as he liked fishing he also enjoyed working on his boats.

As they grew older they became interested in Scouting.  Gary served as a Cub Scout Master and also Assistant Boy Scout Master.  Some interesting things happened to Gary and Scoutmaster Edward Moneyhon.  Their boy scouts served as ushers at a UT Football Game but when they finished their duties they abandoned their leaders and took off to the top seats of the stadium.  Needless to say the leaders were uninformed and had to corral them up after huffing and puffing up the stairs.

Both of his sons lovingly remember the times he would drop everything to help them -  Henry with his cross country moves and Patrick with his breakdowns needing roadside assistance.

Gary started driving a dump truck when he was still a teenager with his dad.  For a time he drove cross country with his father-in-law.  After working  in electric line construction he began working for Central Texas Electric Co-Op.  He completed over thirty years there before retiring.  His job meant so much to him and he enjoyed the people he worked with.

After his retirement, he enjoyed gardening by growing okra, tomatoes and squash in large quantities.  His other love was his grandchildren, great grandchildren, striped cat, and big dog.

Gary was baptized in First Baptist Church in Mason  as a youngster. In 1987 he converted to the Catholic faith at St. Patrick's parish in Brady, TX.  Gary served St. Joseph's parish as an adult server, taught religious education and served as an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister.

During the Covid pandemic Gary found his religious support online.  He especially liked the Masses from the New Orleans LA Archdiocese with Archbishop Gregory Aymond.  Gary shared that he had found his closeness to God had increased during that time.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Glenda Lemman Philips.

He is survived by his wife, his two sons Henry and wife Teresa, and Patrick and wife Consuelo, grandchildren Antony & Mary Garner, Kria & Seth Thompson, Sheena and Justin Cortez and Tia and Kurt Dickey, great grandchildren: Jack, Elliott, Grace and Ava Thompson and Weston and Kode Belle Cortez and Wyatt Dickey on the way.

Pallbearers will be Anthony Garner, Daryl Lemman, Joel Allen, Skeet Allen, Kurt Dickey and Justin Cortez.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jerry Kruse, Bill Height, and all the Mason Feed Store coffee drinkers.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice or Mason County EMS.

Visitation with the family will be Wednesday, August 4 ^th at St. Joseph's Catholic Church from 9am to 10am.  Rosary will be prayed at 10am.  Funeral Mass will begin at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at Gooch Cemetery.