Pat Garvin

In going through some old stuff a few weeks ago, Carrie found this obituary of our great grandfather Pat Garvin. To me he's always been a stately looking gentleman in a faded photograph. A stranger connecting us to the past. My aunts, Mollie and Nina, often spoke of Grandpa Garvin remembering him fondly. He was born in Ireland and lived in Pennsylvania before he moved to Texas. It's all there in the obituary, and sounds like he lived a big life. 

I've scanned so many old pictures of faces and places I know nothing about, but they're part of the foundation of a family that lives on. The people who knew those faces best are also gone, and their stories are a distant memory. If only I'd listened better or written it all down back then. 

But the faces never change, frozen in the image of a picture to look at and wonder. Wonder about voices and accents and laughter and experiences and wisdom. 

Pat and Mary Garvin will always be my great grandparents I never knew, but I loved the name Garvin so much that it's Emma's middle name. Connecting the present to the past. Names live on for forever in a memory. 

We have lots of those...

Pat Garvin, Long Time Resident Of County Is Dead
VETERAN OF UNION ARMY AND AN HONORARY MEMBER CAMP WINKLER, U.C.V

Pat Garvin, 87, native of Ireland, but resident of Navarro county for 52 years, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J.G. Walker, 212 North Eighteenth street, Friday morning at 3:40 o'clock following an illness of several days, and the funeral will be held from the Church of the Immaculate Conception Saturday morning at 10 o'clock with burial in the Catholic cemetery. The services will be conducted by Rev. V. Graffeo. 

Mr. Garvin, one of the oldest and best known citizens of Corsicana was born in Ireland, March 3, 1842, and came to America when 10 years of age. The family settled in Philadelphia, Pa. He was married to Mary Lynch in 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Garvin came to Navarro county and settled about six miles east of Corsicana near Phillips Chapel where he has resided since. He was a veteran of the Union army, but had attended the meetings of the Confederate veterans for a number of years. 

Surviving are two sons, Joe Garvin and Frank Garvin, and two daughters, Miss Ida Garvin and Mrs. J. G. Walker, all of Corsicana; eight grandchildren, Frances Garvin, Lee Ward Garvin, Mary Walker, Owen Walker, Nina Walker, Howard Walker, Joe Garvin Walker and Frank Meredith Walker. 

Active pallbearers will be A. W. King, J. L. Hill, T. J. Hickey, A. P. Young, E. E. Sheehey, E. R. Crotty. 

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. T. . Miller, Sam H. Slay, Harry Williams, W. E. Pugh, A. G. Elliott, E. A. Johnson, Pat Brown, J. D. McBee, Johnny Noble, Allyn Lang, J. W. McGill, M. Bryant, Raleigh Ellis, Same Ellis, W. F. Patterson.

Jeff Sheehan, J. C. Hughes, P. Mayer, M. O. (Dad) Kennemore, B. T. Delahay, Hugh Loper, R. E. Walker, J. J. Walker, J. O. Burke, C. C. Roberts, Mit Sowell, Al Sowell, S. J. Lanham, R. D. Fleming, W. H. Jack, Ben Wimberley, K. Wolens, S. D. Ramsey, Warren Hicks, Judge H. C. Nash.

J. H. Robinson, Edd Devant, Charlie Woods, W. D. Nolan, J. J. Bledsoe, Judge Hawkins Scarborough, R. M. Smith, Walter Hayes, Chas. Thornell, Luther Johnson, W. P. McCammon, Dick Bryan, Judge R. R. Owen, George E. Jester, Lowry Martin, Lynn Wortham, Dr. J. A. Jones Louis Hashop.

Sam Blair, Jester Pittman, John W. Stewart, D. L. Phillip, Elevyn Ellis, J. W. Greenlee, W. W. Gage, and all members of Camp Winkler, United Confederate Veterans. 

Pat Garvin, as he was familiarly known to hundreds, was one of the prominent farmers and stock raisers of Navarro county for many years, and was one of the best known and most highly respected of all in the entire county. He was always courteous and friendly and a jovial companion. If he had aches or pains of worries or troubles of any sort he never inflicted them on his friends, always having a pleasant and kindly word for all. 

Although Mr. Garvin was a veteran of the Union Army in the war between the states, and fought valiantly for his country in the intercene strife, he was honored and loved by the veterans of the lost cause and met with them in their local gatherings and was an honorary member of Camp Winkler and attended all its meetings and aided financially in its support and also took a leading part in seeing that the aged Confederate veterans were enabled to attend their annual reunions. 

There are few men in Navarro county who had a wider acquaintance or who was more universally respected and esteemed than Pat Garvin. When he cast his lot with Texas and the South to all purposes he was a Texan and a Southerner, and while he made visits back to his old home in the Northland he always returned with his love for his adopted home and its people unimpaired. His friends will mourn with his family in the passing of a stalwart, true-hearted citizen of this nation. 
...........

People don't write that way anymore.