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Note: Myron was the oldest of 2 sons of Elisha J. Garrett & Rosa Vesta Parks Garrett. He was raised on his parent's farm, northwest of WaKeeney on the banks of the Saline River.
Myron's Dad had some cattle during the hard times of the 30's & he and his Uncle James would herd them on foot or horseback. They had to move the cows to ditches, draws & other places to try & find something to eat. They would spend all day on horseback. In World War II, Dad volunteered & joined the Army Air Corp, training to be a pilot, he got the measles & it affected his eyesight too much to continue training as a pilot. He was given an honorable discharge & came home. He had been dating a young lady in the neighboring county before he entered the military. They dated some more & got married. Myron married Ada McCoy and they moved on to a farm southwest of WaKeeney. They lived here 11 plus years & farmed the land 13 years. In 1954, they purchased grassland northwest of WaKeeney just 1 1/2 miles east & 1/2 mile north of his parents place.
The land purchased had no fences around the perimeter, no well, no buildings of any kind, it was all native grass. Myron went to the river with ax & tree saw, hand & arm power only. There he cut down green ash trees & made fence posts out of them. He built several miles of fence & broke sod on 110 acres. He drilled a water well and had a basement dug. They lived in the basment for several years. Then he made arrangements with a carpenter to cut studs & rafters & put them up. Dad did a lot of the sheeting & boxing, also shingling. Dad helped with the electrical installation. Mom did most of the insulation work. Dad did most of the sheet rock installation. Hired dry walling work done, but ordered kitchen cabinets & put them in himself. They did all their trim work, finishing & painting. Dad bought & moved the barn off the farm where my Mother was raised. It is a big barn & is still in good shape. Put up a big machine shed & 2 - 4500 bushel steel bins. Dad enjoyed his kids & grandkids. Dad enjoyed being around people. Dad was a good & caring family man. Dad believed in doing the right thing at all times, always be honest & do right to others. Show everybody respect, he would tell his children. This he demonstrated quite well with his day to day living.
Dad was quite active in church activities & in his community. Dad & Mom had
many true friends.
(Source: Gayle M. Garrett, oldest son of Myron & Ada)
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