The last family owned funeral home in Thurston County.

Arnette Ann (Strong)Garrett was born on the 30^th of July 1938 to her proud parents, June and Arnold Strong in Olympia, Washington at St Peter's Hospital. She passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on the 19^th of December 2021 with her four daughters, Cathy Dalton, Becky Forsythe, Cindy Lindley and Tammy Miatke, by her side.  She also leaves behind three grandchildren, Meghann Surginer, Alysha Lee and Garrett Elward and two great grandchildren, Smith and Kadyn.

She and her younger brother, Hugh Claude (Butch) grew up in Olympia and went to Olympia schools. Growing up her family enjoyed many excursions to the beach at Ocean Shores.  It was whilst she was in high school that her uncle introduced her to her future husband, Ray Parker, who lived with his large family in East Olympia, at a dance hall.  They married on the 20^th of May, 1956 and made their home in East Olympia. The raised their four daughters on the dairy farm where they enjoyed horse riding, playing in nearby woods with neighbours and all the benefits of living in a rural location on a farm.

The family had a very close relationship with Arnette's parents who lived nearby and with Ray's parents who lived in the same road.  Arnette was a stay-at-home mother, who loved looking after her children, who remember her always being there when they returned from school. She was a very loving mother and a best friend all wrapped up together. Her close ties with her extended family meant that the family had a large circle of aunts, uncles and cousins to enjoy. They made family trips to Iowa to visit Ray's extended family.

She supported her children helping out with 4H and Girl Scouts. She was a respected member of the East Olympia Community. She undertook a great deal of volunteer work at the local school.

In 1977 Ray and Arnette divorced and Arnette moved from the farm to an apartment. She worked in a hotel in Olympia and still enjoyed dancing. So it was that she met her second husband, Bob Garrett at a dance.  They married in 1980. Arnette and Bob set up a home in the Evergreen Valley, where Bob had his business working with heavy machinery. Arnette opened a ceramic workshop and offered lessons to a large number of local people. She and Bob had a large circle of friends and they joined the local branch of the Moose, where they were very active raising money for charity. She received many  honours from the Moose  locally and nationally.  She was a very active member of the Red Hat Society and enjoyed the company of other members and raising funds for charity.  Arnette always cared deeply about other people, especially those less fortunate or alone. She always included them in annual celebrations. She and Bob made their home available to many people who needed a roof over their heads. She never missed an opportunity to decorate her home for a holiday or season. Any reason would suffice.

She loved travelling and she and Bob travelled to Alabama to visit his family. Two of her children lived abroad and this afforded her and Bob the opportunity of travelling outside the US to Malaysia, Britain and Australia  . One daughter lived in Georgia with her family, so Arnette and Bob also visited them. Shortly, before her death she sat with her children and reminisced about her fondest memories of trips abroad.

In her latter years she was lucky to have the company of her daughter, Becky, who moved into her house with her after the death of her husband, Scott. Becky cared for her mother until the end, which meant that Arnette could remain at home until the very end of her life.  Her son-in-law,  Jerome Lindley, was a rock of support and Arnette relied on his common  sense approach to things and his good humour. Her grandson, Garrett, was there for her when she needed assistance and she enjoyed his company. Although frail in her last months, she remained alert and with good humour. She will be missed enormously but remembered fondly and with love.