Myrna Beth Garner

Myrna B. Garner, 86, of Normal passed away Friday, September 29, 2023, at her residence surrounded by family. It has been reported that retailers around the globe will mourn the loss of revenue due to her death, her oversized closet packed with all the fashion trends possible.

Myrna was born on September 2, 1937, in Longview, WA, to Harry and Helen (Hansen) Hale. She was born during the era of “children should be seen, not heard”, so Myrna became an accomplished pianist and clarinetist. She had hoped her children would pick up her talent for making music, however, her eardrums requested them to stop, especially when it came to the screeching sounds of the violin.

After Myrna graduated high school, she attended the University of Washington, completing her Bachelor's degree in Home Economics Education. She completed her Master’s degree from Oregon State University. Myrna also completed course work in interior design and education from Western Washington College and Cornell University. Early in her teaching career, after moving to California, she set up the first known homemaking class for boys. Women around the world cheered that someone else now knew how to do the dishes and laundry.

It was in California that she met Neil E Garner(surviving) and later asked him if they “should go shopping for underwear or get married”. They married on August 5, 1965. They had 3 daughters, Michelle (Christopher) Tabor, Kristin Garner, and Renee Garner, leaving them outnumbered, exhausted, and very proud. Also surviving are her 4 grandchildren: Blake, Callie, Alex, and Cameron.

In 1975, they made the decision to move the family to Illinois, and Myrna settled in at Illinois State University. She started in the Division of Public Affairs and taught part time in the Department of Home Economics (later renamed Family and Consumer Science). While teaching full time, Myrna completed her PhD at the University of Illinois in 1985. It was after this that Myrna decided being normal in Normal wasn’t enough. The travel bug bit her and Neil as they took several student groups from ISU to Europe. In 1987, after taking a year of Chinese language classes, she went to China, and subsequently, Hong Kong and Japan, to explore textiles and apparel, manufacturing, and marketing. This is when Myrna learned she couldn’t survive on M&Ms alone and was extremely excited to find a McDonalds.

Over the years Myrna and her husband traveled and shopped around the world. Some of the travels were part of consulting projects and development and research opportunities in Russia, France, Italy, London, Germany, Austria, and Costa Rica to name a few. In 1993, Myrna (with Neil) spent 6 months living in Nicosia, Cypress as a Fulbright Scholar lecturer/consultant with the Cypress and Turkish Ministries of Education. During their stint in Cypress, they also traveled to Africa. Later in 2001, she was a consultant with the United Nations in Amman Jordan. Needless to say, Myrna became very skilled at packing and shipping her treasures back home.

With so many miles traveled, Myrna was the perfect candidate with whom airlines could consult in their quest to regulate luggage manufacturing guidelines. She had the opportunity to follow a piece of luggage from the check-in counter, to crawl through the bowels of the luggage sorting system, and witness it being loaded onto a plane with United Airlines at O’Hare airport. Even the local paper, The Pantagraph, wanted to know more. They did a write up on Myrna called “Packing It In,” in the Travel section in April 2002. Myrna was also selected by the American Apparel Manufactures Association to help standardize clothing sizes for women. Dear Abby even quoted Myrna saying, “we have a problem with vanity sizing,” as the size one wears in one store was completely different in another.

Myrna’s daughters as teenagers dreaded shopping with her, as she went through every item on every rack in every store. She called it research. Her daughters were always left holding the bag. Oh, so many shopping bags.

With all the knowledge from around the world that Myrna had gained, she took on the challenge of writing textbooks, and became the professor that all students dreaded: the teacher who teaches from the books she wrote. It explains why some of her students felt the need to tell her that they had spotted her daughter at the mall or at a party near campus.

Myrna was not one to take retirement seriously at first as she continued to work on her writing, remodeling, and redecorating their home, and traveling as part of her research (shopping). As grandchildren came along, Myrna took great delight in watching them grow. However, Myrna received a call while traveling abroad from her oldest daughter. Her grandson had done something that her daughter had done as a toddler, and advice was requested to make it stop. Myrna just laughed and said, “I have no idea. Your grandmother told you, not me. Have fun cleaning up the mess.”

Myrna was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Helen (Hansen) Hale; stepmother, Opal (Jackson) Hale; and the hedge she tried to trim.

Myrna will be deeply missed by all those who knew her, except for the Amazon delivery driver, who desperately needed a break.

A public visitation will be held on Friday, October 20, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at East Lawn Funeral Home, Bloomington, IL. Cremation rites have been accorded.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

Condolences and memories may be left with the family at eastlawnmemorial.com.