Verna Garrett

Cremation Center of Kansas City

Verna Lou (Bostwick) Garrett was born August 18, 1952, to Aubrey William and Verna Marjorie Bostwick, of Waverly Kansas. Although farming was in the blood, there was not enough income to support three families so in 1956 they moved first to Chanute Kansas, then Ottawa Kansas, finally settling in Atwood Kansas in 1963. There Betsy (Wigner) Holste took the awkward girl under her wing immediately and they remained best friends until Betsy’s death in 2018.
Verna had many wonderful memories from that time; the announcement that she was going to be a big sister in 1965 when her sister, Diane Janette (Bostwick) Werth joined the family, spending many days on the Wigner farm, cruising Main Street in Betsy’s green Maverick, and movie nights at the drive in. She graduated from Atwood High School in 1970 and was awarded a small Art Scholarship to attend Colby Community College. Although it was renewed for a second year, Verna knew her art capabilities were not enough to sustain her as an artist and she had no interest in either teaching art or going to work drawing cards for someplace like Hallmark. She moved on with life, settling in Wichita KS where she married William Lee Scott in 1972 and gave birth to her only son in 1977, Christopher Ryan Scott.
Verna started her long Federal career in 1978, going to work as a secretary for the 89th ARCOM (Army Reserve Command). In 1982 the marriage ended and she and Christopher moved to the Kansas City area where she went to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, starting as a secretary and eventually moving up to a Contracting Officer for grain warehouses all over the United States that store grain for USDA. During that career she spent fiscal year 2000 in Russia, working as a Food Aid Monitor, traveling the massive country verifying that donated commodities were actually reaching charitable agencies in Russia. This was so important to her, to be involved in the procurement of the commodities, witnessing the shipping of them, and finally the delivery to such agencies as Retirement Homes and Children’s Agencies in Russia. She came home with many stories of the people in Russia. She spent one holiday in the home of the grandparents of one of her interpreters. She was welcomed into his humble home even though the grandfather, who fought in WWII, blamed the US for their problems because that is how they were indoctrinated. Verna retired from Federal service in 2013, having accumulated 37 years of service.
In 1992 Verna married Jerry Lee Garrett and they settled in her current home near Paola Kansas, close to the beautiful Hillsdale Lake. For several years they owned The Freedom Store which sold adaptive equipment for people with disabilities as well as a non-profit side that recycled donated large medical equipment to people who could not afford them. This marriage dissolved in 2006.
In 2004 Verna purchased her first longarm quilting machine and started practicing, hoping to develop a second career that would supplement her income into retirement. She quickly realized that her art training was not wasted and learned that she had a real knack for knowing what colors of thread and what quilting patterns to use to bring out the true beauty of a customer’s quilt top. This became her happy place. She did a lot of charity work, including quilting over 175 of the 500 plus veterans quilts that the Miami County Quilt Guild made and gave to Miami County veterans and dozens of quilts for the Miami County Cancer Foundation. Although she had a lengthy wall display of ribbons awarded, her proudest moments came when a little girl gave her a big hug when she saw her finished quilt, seeing her father cry when she gave him the Veteran’s quilt that she made special for him and hearing the countless thanks and praises from customers when she announced her retirement from quilting in June.
Most important of all was Verna’s family and church. To her delight, two grandchildren joined the family with the birth of Hailey Renea Scott in 2004 and Elijah Ryan Scott in 2007. She enjoyed watching the growth and development of them into amazing young adults along with Verna’s niece and nephew, Brandon and Callie Werth. Her son, Christopher, has overcome challenges and has become a man she is proud of. Now with the addition of a wonderful woman, April andher children, the family is strong.
Verna was raised Methodist, spent about twenty years as a Baptist, and came back to her Methodist roots at the Paola United Methodist Church in 2006 where she truly found another family. She once told her brother-in-law Baptist pastor that she believed that the Baptists were destined to save people and the Methodists showed them how to serve the Lord and do His work as He commanded! Although she did acknowledge that the Baptists do God’s work also. That initiated an active discussion!
Whether it was organizing a fundraiser, making casseroles, cleaning the kitchen, leading one of the United Women in Faith circles, working in the Thrift Store, picking up trash after the Miami County Fair Parade, cooking dozens of dinners for various events and funerals, and learning more about the Trinity in a wonderful Sunday School group, she was truly happy and at home.
Verna will be laid to rest in the family plot in Waverly Kansas.

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Verna Garrett Obituary | Cremation Center of Kansas City