Joella M. Garland (Hartville)'s Obituary
Joella Marie (Barr) Garland began her earthly journey October 3, 1936 at the home of her parents Raymond and Mildred Barr near Hartville, MO. At an early age she learned to work the family farm and ran rabbit traps before daylight with her older brother Alva. After school they would help with all the chores at the farm. At the age of nine, she bought a piano with her milk check courtesy of her cow named “Beauty”. She learned to play piano and enjoyed it the rest of her life. She was pianist at First Baptist Church in Hartville for fifteen years. Her treasured piano now sits silent in her home.
Joella graduated from high school in 1953 and shortly thereafter began working at the H.D. Lee garment factory where she earned money to attend school at Baptist Hospital’s School of Nursing. She graduated with her degree in nursing in 1958. Joella loved caring for the sick and helpless and retired from her career in 1997.
In 1960 she married Leonard Garland and began a new life as a military wife and mother to two sons, Jeff and Bruce whom she loved dearly. The family lived all over the United States, including Hawaii and briefly in North Africa, but most of Leonard’s career was spent in Nebraska. Upon retirement they returned from Nebraska to Hartville in 1993.
Joella’s life was full - full of work, love, joy, laughter, and plenty of tears that followed the loss of her beloved son Bruce in 1983 at the age of twenty-one. God was a friend and comfort to her, she saw his hand in everything; the beauty of nature, little children, homegrown tomatoes, flowers, birds, and four-legged creatures. She loved sharing laughter with dear friends and family. She was a very easy person to love and was loved by all who knew her.
Joella gave her heart to Christ at an early age and demonstrated her faith in him throughout her entire life. On May 25 His angels came for her and lifted her away at the age of 78 years, 224 days; work here in this life finished and ready to begin life anew in the Kingdom of Heaven. Joella is preceded in death by her mother and father, Mildred and Raymond Barr, son Bruce Garland, sister Wilma Myers, brother-in-law John Myers, brothers Carl and Leonard Barr, and nephew David Barr, mother and father-in-law Jean and Raymond Hunter. She is survived by her husband Leonard Garland, son and daughter-in-law Jeff and Mary Garland, three grandchildren Aaron Garland, Jonathan Garland, and Bethany (Garland) Cross, brother Alva Barr, brothers and sisters-in-law Nadine Barr, Freda Barr, Linda and Mason Payne, Michael and Shine Hunter, nephews Darrell Myers, Faron Barr, and niece Teresa (Barr) McKinney.
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