This page is in memory of my cousin, Ron, who died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound Tuesday, August 14, 2001.

The third anniversary of Ronald's death has come and gone. The pain has lessened ever so slightly?. I still miss him unbelievably and love him so much. I still catch myself thinking of something to tell him before I remember he is gone. So instead of calling him on the telephone, I simply talk to him out loud. That may sound crazy, but with his death, coupled with two friend's and my godson's deaths - well it's how I cope sometimes. There are still people out there that remind me of Ron so much that the tears start flowing without warning. If it didn't hurt so much, it'd be embarrassing, especially since the only time I see someone like that is when I'm out and about running errands. So there it is, that's how I'm doing as the third anniversary of his death passes me.



Well here it is two years later and I still cry about losing Ron. I just still cannot quite grasp that he's really not going to show up at some family eatin' meetin'. I can't believe that he'll never get to hold my newest child and treat her just as special as he treated me. It still hurts so much! In fact at the 4th of July parade that Madison was in, I was walking up the street to the end of the route so that I could be there to gather Madison up, when I passed a man that was a Ron look alike. My heart just lurched up into my throat. Oh it was simply heartbreaking. I really started missing his hugs so much right then. Unbelievably I still want to kick his rear and give him a good old-fashioned lickin' for putting us all through this. But when it comes right down to it, I love him so very much --- I guess that's one of the reasons it hurts so bad.
So there you have it, at the two year anniversary of his death, I still painfully miss him. There is still this little hole in my heart and tears in my eyes.



Right now I just want to express how much I am going to miss him and how much I am grieving his lost life and grieving for his little family. I'll be adding more and more.

Ron was my protector when we were children. I grew up amongst a gaggle of boys. While playing, the boys were sometimes a bit too rough with me and Ron would remind them that that was not how they were suppose to treat a girl. When we would play things like space invaders and army and such like that, he always let me be on his team when the other boys didn't want me. Ron never failed to make me feel special - even as adults, he did. I was always welcome around him. When we would part (normally with long periods of time between visits) he would always give me a big, warm hug, a kiss on the cheek and tell me in his sweet, country, Southern twang, "Love ya, darlin'. You be good."

I love you Ron and I'll miss you dearly.

I specifically chose this background because Ron loved the outdoors. He loved to go hunting and to put what he saw on paper. Ron was a talented artist. I'll have to get some of his artwork up on this page but for now you can look at a sampling of his work through my dad and mom's site. As one of the preachers at the funeral referenced... it was so much more than just the hunt that Ron liked so much, it was the communing with the beautiful nature God so lovingly made.

Ron Garner, 29, died Sunday in Troup County.

Mr. Garner was born September 23, 1971 in
Carroll County. He was a metal fabrication
specialist at Wheelabrator in LaGrange. He
lived here all of his life. Mr. Garner was
a veteran of the United States Air Force.



Survivors include his wife, Christy; four
children, Cassie, Georgia, Justin and Cody;
his mother, Janis; his father and stepmother,
Donald, Jr. and Lynn, two brothers and a
sister-in-law, Gabriel and Stephanie, and
Michael; paternal grandmother, Helen;
paternal grandfather and step-grandmother,
Donald, Sr. and Ann; three sisters-in-law
and two brothers-in-law, Jennifer and Bob,
Ann and Steve, and Catherine; a brother-in-
law and sister-in-law, Billy and Heather;
and many neices and nephews.



The family will be at the home of his sister-
and brother-in-law, Jennifer and Bob.



The family will receive friends at the funeral
home from 7-9 this evening.



In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to
New Community Church in memory of Mr. Garner.



H-A-M Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.