Martha Yancey Garner

Funeral service for Mrs. Martha Yancey Garner, 79, of Piedmont will be Monday, October 31, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Piedmont First Baptist Church with the Rev. Michael Ingram officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. Mrs. Garner passed away Friday, October 28, 2022 at Gadsden Regional Medical Center. Survivors include her husband of 59 years, James Garner; daughter, Kelly K. Garner of Franklin, TN; one brother, Kermit “Cecil” Yancey, Jr. (Linda S.) of Altoona; sister-in-law, Janet Garner O’Kelley (Jim) of Signal Mountain, TN; nieces, Laura, Jamie, and Anne; nephews, Khris, Will, and Patrick; and former sister-in-law, Nancy Hoagand. Pallbearers will be Jim O’Kelley, Will Yancey, Patrick Yancey, Khris Yancey, Paul Harper, Randy Harper, Sparks Harper, Scott Maddox, Phillip Kirk and Jason Spears. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Faith Sunday School Class, members of the Sanctuary Choir, and member of the D-Life Group. Mrs. Garner was born January 29, 1943 in Etowah County in Gadsden, AL. She grew up on Sand Mountain on her grandparent’s (Kilpatrick/Camp) family farm close to Altoona, AL. She became a Christian at Mt. Olive Baptist Church at the age of 8 years old and was baptized. She graduated from Etowah High School in 1959 at 16 years of age because she was double promoted twice. She was the Etowah County Poultry Queen, Miss Guntersville Lake & went on to be an Auburn Beauty featured in the Auburn University Yearbook, graduating from Auburn with a B.S.Ed in Math Education in 1963. She then married James R. Garner from Piedmont, AL and lived in Gadsden, AL for two years while Jim was deployed to Seoul, South Korea with the armed services. When he returned they built a home in Piedmont, AL and Martha gave birth to one child, Kelly Kristy Garner, who now lives and works in Franklin, TN. Martha taught at Sardis High School for two years, Etowah High School for two years and then, was hired at Gadsden State Community College, where she taught for 32 years in the Math department. She was a member of the Piedmont Education School Board for many years and has recently served on the Piedmont Education Trust organization until her death. She earned a M.S.Ed. In Math Education from Jacksonville State University and a Ed.S. Equivalency in Education from Auburn University. At the First Baptist Church of Piedmont, Martha served on many pastor search committees, was a member of the choir, pray team leader, and taught the Faith Sunday School class for over 50 years. She retired from Gadsden State Community College in 1996 after 36 years of teaching and took up her past “much loved” hobby of oil painting, china painting, watercolors and playing with her grand-dogs, Clifford and Clarence. She worked for the pro-life organization, “Save a Life” in Gadsden, AL for many years and was a counselor for a Billy Graham Crusade. Mrs. Garner was preceded in death by her parents, Kermit Cecil Yancey, Sr. and Elise Kilpatrick Yancey; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Hoyt and Corene Garner; and one brother, Charles A. Yancey. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Piedmont Education Trust for the Martha Yancey Garner Memorial Scholarship, P.O. Box 819, Piedmont, AL 36272.

Martha Yancey Garner

January 29, 1943 - October 28, 2022