Connie Frank Garner passed away on Tuesday, August 29th. He was born near Orangeville, Fannin County, Texas, on January 29, 1922, the son of Leander Emmett and Pearl Mills Garner. He was married to Helen L. Edwards on July 2, 1947. He is survived by his wife, Helen and daughters Dr. Nancy G. Garner of Dayton, Ohio and Jane E. Garner of Batavia, Illinois. He was preceded in death by son, Milton Forest Garner on April 20, 1956. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Connie graduated from Savoy High School, Texas in 1939. He served 3 years in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, including 16 months in the South Pacific. Mr. Garner received a B. S. Degree in 1951 and Masters in Entomology in 1960 from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. He served as Area Entomologist with the Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service, for five northeast Texas counties, with headquarters in Greenville and later, as Associate Entomologist with headquarters at College Station. In 1963 Connie was employed by the Chemagro Corporation, now Bayer, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Connie was first in the role as a Technical Service Director and later in Research and Development. He retired in 1987. In 2007 he and Helen moved from Overland Park, Kansas where they had lived for 44 years back to Dallas, Texas.
Connie was a Baptist and an ordained Deacon. In June 2007, Connie was given the distinction of Deacon Emeritus by Leawood Baptist Church in Leawood, Kansas. At the time of his death he was a member of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.
A graveside service will be held at 3:30, Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Elm Grove Cemetery near Westminster, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation, being held from 1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway N., Allen, Texas 75013.