Children
- Glenda (Garner) Sawyer
- Cynthia (Garner) Leftwich
Lena Joyce Thomas Garner was born June 27, 1929, in Thorndale, TX to parents Martha and Oscar Thomas. She was the youngest girl of 15 siblings. Lena was raised in Taylor, TX, and attended Blackshear High School.
She later moved to Austin, TX where she met the love of her life Simon Garner, a native of New Orleans, LA. Although the marriage ended in divorce 15 years later Lena and Simon remained friends.
Lena and Simon had 2 daughters: Glenda and Cynthia and at the time of her death on February 14, 1986, she had 3 grandchildren: Lena Charisma Garner, Daphne Nicole Lyons, and Lincoln Christopher Sawyers.
Lena had such an outgoing personality and she was never a stranger to anyone she met. She was always smiling and had a heart of gold. She loved to cook and always had friends and family over. She worked part-time throughout the years as a domestic and later she took on the role of house-sitter and cook in a private home. She was loved by many. In 1984 Lena placed her membership with Bethel Christian Fellowship Church and remained an active member until her demise.
Lena loved life and she loved her family. On any given day all you had to do was call her up or just drop by and she always had time. She was a force to be reckoned with when she had an opinion about something. She was honest, trustworthy, and most of all a devoted mother and a true friend.
