James "Jim" Ronald Garner

Funeral service for James Ronald Garner, 83, of Piedmont will be Monday, April 14, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at Piedmont First Baptist Church with the Rev. Michael Ingram officiating and Thompson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery with military honors.The family will receive friends Monday from 1:00 -3:00 p.m. at the church. James Ronald Garner was born to his parents, George William Hoyt Garner and Willie Corene Garner, in his childhood home on South Centre Avenue in Piedmont, Alabama. He graduated from Piedmont High School in 1959 and was President of his graduating class. He then attended Auburn University as an ROTC cadet in the Fall of that year. He met Martha Ewell Yancey in 1961 and they began dating and graduated together from Auburn University in May of 1963. After graduating from Auburn as a 2nd Lieutenant, he worked at Bennett Knight Furniture before he married Martha on August 17, 1963. Soon after, he travelled to Aberdeen Proving Ground to begin two years of active duty during the era of the JFK assassination. As an Army officer he spent six months in Maryland preparing to deploy to Shi Hung Dung Artillery Supply Center in Seoul, South Korea. They supplied artillery to troops during the Vietnam War. He was in Korea from May 1964 until May 1965. When he returned from Korea, he worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville and Martha taught math at Sardis High School while they lived with her parents on Sand Mountain. Throughout his early years in business, he worked at his dad’s hardware store, was an employee at Goodyear Tire and Rubber, and sold cars at a used car lot. He later owned and operated a planer mill, was an accountant at Piedmont City Hall, and traveled as a salesman for Wayne Feeds. He began to build Garner Hardware and Building Supply in 1972. During this time, Jim and Martha had a baby girl, Kelly Kristy Garner, who was born on August 29, 1967. He was her softball coach for the “Garner Hardware” softball team from 1975-1979. He served as Commander to the Piedmont National Guard and was elected mayor of the City of Piedmont from 1980-1984. As mayor, he developed the Piedmont Sports Complex and the new Piedmont High School on Highway 200. He sold his hardware business in 1989 and retired to work in real estate and build Garner Pine Plantation. He ventured into many other property investments in and around the Calhoun County area during his retirement. . He is survived by one daughter, Kelly Garner, of Franklin, Tennessee, one sister, Janet Louise Garner O’Kelley (Jim), of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and nieces, nephews, and many dear cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, and two grand dogs, Clifford and Clarence. He was a proud member of the First Baptist Church of Piedmont, an elected deacon, and a member of Gideons International. Pallbearers are Greg Hightower, James Garner O’Kelley, Jeff Haney, Dan Reeverts, Phillip Kirk, Paul Harper, Chris Hanson, Alan Hunt, Chuck Gunnels, Sammy Holbrooks and Scott Young. Honorary pallbearers are Randy Harper, Sparks Harper, Jim O’Kelley, Frank Johnson, Doug Rosser, Scott Maddox, Ted Acker, Bill Hart, Ronnie Morrow, Glenn Frachasieur, Gordon Kirby, Gene Williams, Mac Singleton, Pitt Peale, Terry Gallagher, Dennis Ragsdale, Neil Compton, Ken Grissom, Ollie Brunson. Jimmy Trammell, Joe Wingard, Joey Martin, members of the Men's Bible Class and Ambassador Sunday School Class.

James "Jim" Ronald Garner

June 23, 1941 - April 9, 2025