Willie J. Garner
Private
United States Army
1918-1919

   Willie Jefferson Garner was born 29 February 1896 in Het1in, Alabama, the son of Jefferson Boaz and Mary Ann McCollum Garner. He had two brothers and five sisters: Josiah, Sarah, Soloma, Ruth, Essie, Steve and Ella. Willie and his family moved to At tala County, Mississippi when he was in his late teens and there met his future bride, Edith Mable Shields. Willie moved to Cross County in early 1917 to work on a plantation but returned to marry Edith 10 October 1917. Willie and Edith caught a train and moved to Cross County and lived between Wynne and Parkin.
    World War I was raging in Europe when Willie registered for the draft and on 23 July 1918, he was inducted into the Army at Camp Pike (later named Camp Robinson), near North Little Rock, Arkansas. After a short training period, he was on his way to Europe by boat. Soon after reaching France, Willie was placed in the trenches and served in the Argonne Forest in France. One of his duties was to take food to the men on the front line. Many times shells would fly over and burst near him. While on duty one beautiful moonlit night, a German plane flew near the trench where he was on guard. This really caused much excitement. Just as his unit was to move to the front line, the Germans surrendered and the war was over. On 9 May 1919, Willie was discharged at Camp Pike, Arkansas and left for home and family, including meeting his first child who was six weeks old.
    Willie and Edith moved to the Jolly Ellis Community, west of Wynne, where they farmed for several years. They had six children children: Willie Wilson, George Albert, James Edward, Ozema Katherine, Lauless Eugene and Edith Lavella.
    In October 1932, he surrendered to the ministry and was ordained in 1936. Willie sold his farm and moved his family to Wynne. He then devoted his time to church pastoral work on a full time basis. He served thirteen Baptist Churches in Arkansas. In 1975, Willie retired and he and Edith moved to Lakeland, Florida to be near their son, Albert.
    Willie Jefferson Garner died 3 April 1993 in Lakeland, Florida at the age of 97 and was buried in Crosslawn Cemetery, Wynne, Arkansas.