Anna Sarah Garratt

On November 19, 2018, Anna S. Garratt, 92, of Granger, Indiana, was ushered into the Presence of her Heavenly Father. Anna was the wife of the late Everett P. Garratt. Together, they called Lake Cable in Jackson Township home for over 25 years.

Anna Sarah Shook was born to Ardell and Emma (Daniel) Shook of Nazareth, Pennsylvania on November 14, 1926. There, she joined her elder half-sister, Sadie (Moser), brother, Walter, and sister, Arlene. Less than a year later, Anna would welcome her youngest sibling, Hilda, into the fold.

Growing up, the three youngest Shook girls were inseparable. They played, studied and sang their way into adulthood. Each musically gifted, the three sisters formed a vocal trio that enjoyed local popularity in the 1940s.

While Arlene and Hilda married after high school, Anna’s life took a different path. After graduation from Nazareth High School in 1944, Anna entered the wartime workforce, standing in for those who left to serve their country during World War II. She packaged tempura paints for Binney & Smith, the maker of Crayola crayons, and built guitars for C. F. Martin, the world-renowned luthier.

By 1951, however, Anna had come to realize that God was calling her to a life dedicated to Christian service. Leaving the factories behind, she entered Lutheran Bible Institute in Teaneck, New Jersey. Two years later, Anna graduated with a kindergarten teacher’s certificate and took a teaching position at a Lutheran school in Pocatello, Idaho. Returning home, she worked happily as a church secretary for several years—that is until she heard God calling again!

In the fall of 1961, Anna received a letter from her good friend and former Bible Institute roommate, Caroline Hann, introducing her to a certain Everett Garratt, whom Caroline had recently dated. It was a whirlwind romance. After a flurry of letters, and two face-to-face meetings, Anna and Everett were married on June 24, 1962. For Anna, marrying Everett also meant opening her heart to his four children as well, which she did with joy and grace. In 1965, their son, Mark, was born.

At Lake Cable, Anna’s life was full and rich. She first attended St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, Massillon, and later joined Everett as a member of Church of the Lakes United Methodist in Canton. Active in church life, she served in many roles: secretary, newsletter editor, bible study leader, committee chairperson, activity organizer, and choir member, just to name a few. For years, Anna volunteered with Meals on Wheels and worked with The Gideons International to distribute bibles to schools. She was also active with Womens’ AGLOW Fellowship and the Walk to Emmaus.

After Mark’s graduation from college in 1987, Anna and Everett retired to Winter Haven, Florida, where they spent many more happy years. When Everett passed away in 2013, Anna relocated to Indiana to be near her family, first at Greencroft Communities in Goshen, then at Brookdale Senior Living in Granger, where she resided until her death.

Anna is survived by a son, Mark (Mary Lou) Garratt of Goshen, Indiana; step-children, Judi Garratt of Glendale, California, David (Joan) Garratt of Arroyo Grande, California, and Beth Sommer of Henderson, Nevada; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Along with her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a step-daughter, Pamela Jo Garratt, her brother, and four sisters.

Cremation has taken place at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen, Indiana.

A private interment ceremony for family will take place at 9am on Saturday, March 23, at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Canton. Following the burial, all are invited to a Service of Remembrance at 11am at Church of the Lakes United Methodist, 5944 Fulton Drive, Canton. A meal will follow in the church fellowship hall. Arrangements under the direction of Karlo-Libby Funeral Home.