We met Glenda Garver in March of 1997 when Barry came in view of a call to First Baptist Church, Marion. Mark Baber drove us to Glenda’s house to practice a duet for that Sunday’s service, and he introduced us to one of the feistiest and most loving individuals I’d ever met--Glenda.
I remember practicing our song while she played, but more than that, I remember her telling us that day how beautiful her grandchildren were and her showing us a new picture to prove it. She showed us a photo of a little girl with long, dark hair wearing a flowing white dress, and I remember thinking that this child was definitely beautiful. It was her Hannah. Hannah and our Kelsey were the same age, so I was very interested in my youngest having a friend to make her feel at home in a new community. And good friends they became.
Glenda also showed us photos of some of the cakes she had made for birthdays, weddings and special occasions, and Barry was in love with her immediately. She took him to the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl of icing and just handed him a spoon--it might as well have been elixir of love! And to this day, I can’t tell you how many wonderful, absolutely delicious cakes Glenda has made for our family. The most recent cake was for Kelsey’s senior recital at OBU in April, and people LOVED the cake. Once you had a taste of a Glenda cake, all other birthday and wedding cakes just didn’t measure up. No kidding.
Once we came to FBC, Marion, Glenda and I worked together over cooking teams for Wednesday night suppers, and I got to see a different side to her. We planned menus, and she would make trips to wholesale distributors or to the grocery store to make sure we had what we needed each week for the meals. She would do whatever it took to make things work no matter how much time or effort was involved. She cared about people and about helping others when she could, and I could always depend on her.
Glenda went on mission trips with Barry on several occasions, and all he had to do was to ask her to be in charge of food for the trip. No worries from that point on! She had the job covered, and the mission team would look forward to breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by Mrs. Glenda. One of my favorite stories from a First Presbyterian, West Memphis, mission trip to serve at The Kitchen in Springfield, was when Glenda left a big plate of cake with Sister Lorraine (the founder of The Kitchen ministries). Glenda told Sister Lorraine (who was around 82 yrs. old at the time) she was leaving a big plate of cake with her to share with the other two sisters who lived at The Little Portion. Sister Lorraine said that she would, and the mission crew returned home from the trip. About a week later, Glenda and Sister Lorraine were visiting on the telephone, and Sister Lorraine told her that she had a confession to make. She said, "Remember that plate of cake you left for us and asked me to share with the other sisters?" And of course, Glenda said she remembered the cake. Sister Lorraine said, "Well, I ate the entire plate of cake myself and didn’t share a bite!" Yes, Glenda’s cakes were that good. And I love that a Catholic nun made a confession to Glenda!
Glenda was also a wonderful seamstress, and she helped countless folks with hemming and altering over the years. She was as stubborn as they come, and although she helped me on many occasions, she would never take a dime for the work. Even with arthritis problems, she continued to play piano and to help others with sewing projects.
One part of Glenda that I loved and cherished over the years was her sense of loyalty to the people she believed in. I always said I wouldn’t want her for an enemy, but I certainly loved having her in my corner. I knew that no matter what, if me or my family needed anything, she would do her level best to meet that need. That’s just how she rolled. She passed that gene on to her daughter, Becky, and Becky has been known to take in stray people and animals over the years. She is compelled to help others as part of her basic nature--just like her mom.
Glenda had a dry wit and she could dish it out AND take it. I think that’s why so many people loved her. There were countless, wonderful aspects of Glenda Garver, and there is no way I can do justice to her in this simple blog. She was an amazing person, and my entire family will miss her dearly. How do you fill a the gap when someone such as Glenda is removed from your life? I’m praying that God will give us all a peace that passes understanding and that time will heal.
One thing I do know, we’ll always have a special place in our hearts for Glenda.
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