Garrett Eugene Escalera

Garrett Eugene Escalera, 32, of Scottsbluff died July 1, 2022 in Mount Pleasant, SC. A celebration of Garrett’s life will take place Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 1 pm at the First Church of God in Scottsbluff with Pastor Aaron Prohs officiating. Memorials may be made to the Garrett Escalera Memorial Fund. Online condolences may be posted at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Home's website, www.dugankramer.com. Flowers may be delivered directly to the church for services.

On December 28, 1989, Arthur and Kimberli Ring Escalera welcomed their youngest child, Garrett, into the world. With an orneriness matched only by his love, Garrett quickly became the passionate, strong, hard-working young man his family and friends all knew and loved in return.

As soon as Garrett could walk he started fishing and hunting with his father and older brother. Not only did Garrett excel at fishing, he became an avid fisherman over the years and earned many master anglers awards—once he was even featured in Infisherman magazine for a huge large-mouth bass he caught! But most important, Garrett always made time to enjoy his greatest passion with close friends and family during countless fishing and camping excursions together.

Of course, with Garrett’s sheer physical strength and talent, he excelled at sports beyond fishing too. Garrett grew up wrestling for the Federation Club in Scottsbluff, which he continued through junior high. As a freshman in high school, Garrett wrestled on the varsity team for the Torrington Trailblazers. He also played baseball for the 23 Club in Scottsbluff.

After earning his high school diploma in 2008, Garrett put his strength and talent to work in the construction field working for Hennings Construction, and briefly for Paul Reed Construction. During that time Garrett also completed a wind-turbine school certification.

In 2021, Garrett attended the Missouri Welding Institute in Nevada, MO. There he met friends who shared the same passion of becoming a welder, and instructors who became both teachers and mentors. As a result, his welding friends also became his fishing buddies.

From there, Garrett began working for Lexicon as a road hand who traveled to different iron mills on the East coast doing welding maintenance and fabricating. Garrett was known around the mills as a “hard worker,”—just one quality that always helped Garrett stay so strong.

Still, Garrett’s true strength always came from the passion and love he had for his family and friends. Garrett loved his children more than life. Garrett loved his childhood friends and every other friend he made in life. And they all loved him in return. They saw Garrett’s heart of gold, and that heart will be deeply, deeply missed.

Garrett is survived in death by his son Lorenzo Escalera and daughter Aryanna Escalera; parents Arthur and Kimberli Ring Escalera, of Scottsbluff; sister Marla Escalera and nephew Jett Hawk, of Huntington Beach, CA; brother Eric Escalera, of Scottsbluff and nephew Gabriel Escalera, of Parker, CO; paternal Grandmother Reynalda Lopez and her husband Lucky Lopez, of La Mirada, CA; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Garrett is preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Charlotte Boots Schanaman and her husband Jack Schanaman, of Scottsbluff; fraternal grandfather Merlin Ring, of Hyannis, NE; paternal grandfather Leo Escalera, of Fontana, CA; and Garrett’s special “Grandma Great” Arlene Boots, of Bingham, NE.

If anyone would like to connect to the ZOOM link to the services, please reach out to the family.