Arletta Garnett

Sally Garnett was born Arletta Castle Horton on March 6, 1924, to Edward and Martha Horton. She was the oldest of 12 children living in a small mountain cabin in the Blue Ridge Parkway near Fancy Gap, Virginia. In her teen years she traveled to the East Coast where she met and fell in love with Lyle Garnett, who was serving in the Navy at Norfolk, VA, during WWII.

Upon discharge, the couple moved to Lyle’s hometown, Carlisle, IA, where they journeyed through life together living at 650 School Street for over 50 years. Three children were born to this union: Howard, Pat, and Jim. The Garnett family enjoyed the benefits of small-town life where neighbors were on a first-name basis, the school day began with the Pledge of Allegiance, and God was not confined to the four walls of a church building.

Sally was required to end her schooling after seventh grade to work in the fields with her dad, but her drive and determination led her to earn a high school diploma as an adult. She displayed unusual skills in reading, organization, and working with people. Working as a high school cook, she forged many relationships with teachers and students resulting in lifetime friendships.

Lyle passed away in December of 2001 while Sally continued to live at 650 School Street until 2021 when she began her residency at the Carlisle Care Center. On September 29, 2024, at the age of 100, she took up her final residency in that eternal city “whose Builder and Maker is God.”

For those who desire, donations can be made on Sally’s behalf to the Carlisle Care Center, 680 Cole Street, Carlisle, Iowa, 50047, where she received such excellent care the last years of her life.