Myrta Ann Latimer Garrett

Myrta Ann Latimer Garrett, 90, a resident of Nacogdoches since May, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. Visitation will be conducted from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at Meadowridge Community Baptist Church, Fort Worth. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Gambrell Street Baptist Church, Fort Worth, with burial following at 4 p.m. at Oakwood Cemetery, Waco. Pallbearers will be James Mark Garrett, William Latimer Garrett, Michael Thomas Garrett, Wyatt David Garrett, Jack Latimer, Charles Latimer, Bart Jenkins and James F. Guittard. Born on Oct. 16, 1924, in Garrison, Myrta was the youngest of five children of Belton Bowling Latimer and Effie May Patterson Latimer. She became a disciple of Jesus and was baptized at 10 in First Baptist Church, Garrison. She committed her life to Christian service as a teenager. After graduating in 1941 from Garrison High School as valedictorian, Myrta earned her bachelor's degree from SFA in 1944. She completed the master of religious education degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she met her husband to be. From 1946 to 1948, Myrta served as director of Baptist Student Union Ministry at Sam Houston State University. In 1948, she and James Leo Garrett Jr. of Waco were married and immediately went to Princeton (N.J.) Theological Seminary, where he did graduate work and she served as secretary to the librarian. In 1949, they moved to Fort Worth for Leo to join the faculty of Southwestern Seminary. She was active in Gambrell Street Baptist Church. Their three sons were born in Fort Worth. Myrta spent 14 years in Kentucky while Leo taught at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. She was active in Crescent Hill and Walnut Street Baptist churches. After years as a stay-at-home mom, Myrta became a public school librarian and completed the Master of Arts in Library Science degree at Spalding University. Her husband's election to the Baylor University faculty (1973) led Myrta to Waco and six years of service as librarian of the newly integrated Jefferson-Moore High School. The Garretts returned to Fort Worth in 1980 when Leo rejoined the Southwestern Seminary faculty, and Myrta became the seminary's serials librarian and later director of technical services. Myrta was first active in Broadway Baptist Church, and then she and Leo became charter members of Candleridge (now Meadowridge) Baptist Church. She was a longtime member of the Monday Book Club of the Woman's Club of Fort Worth. In addition to being a caring and nurturing mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and an effective librarian, Myrta was a gracious hostess in her home to many students, professors and church groups. She was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, John P. and George B. Latimer; her niece, Georgeann Latimer; her nephew, Dr. John Stephen Latimer; and her great-nephew, Robert Latimer. She is survived by her husband of 67 years; three sons, James Leo (Jim) Garrett III of Nacogdoches, Robert Thomas Garrett (and wife Tina Hester) of Austin and Paul Latimer Garrett (and wife Nancy), also of Austin; four grandsons, James Mark Garrett (and wife Lindsay) of Houston, William Latimer Garrett of San Francisco, Michael Thomas Garrett of Nacogdoches and Wyatt David Garrett of Austin; two great-grandsons, James Thomas and Henry Leo Garrett of Houston; and a niece, Joani Latimer Fergusson of Richmond, Va. The Garrett family is grateful beyond measure to Myrta's caregivers over the past 11 months, especially Ternessa Belle of Nacogdoches. Thompson's Harveson Cole Funeral Home and Crematory.