Arthur Garrett

Arthur “Art” Garrett, 80, of Diagonal, passed away Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, with funeral services 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, at the funeral home. Burial will follow in the Diagonal Cemetery.

Memorials are in his name for the Diagonal flower pot fund and various other projects in Diagonal.

Arthur Carl Garrett, son of Mark and Elizabeth (Mickelson) Garrett, was born at his home north of Redfield on Nov. 15, 1940. The Garrett family moved to a farm south of Diagonal in 1949, and Diagonal would forever be his home. Art graduated from Diagonal High School in 1960.

Art went to work for Hallett Construction as a concrete finisher. He helped on the construction of I-235 through Des Moines. Art turned his eyes back to Diagonal and he operated the Skelly station and later worked for Bud Beymer at the Phillips 66. Art eventually went to work at the Diagonal Community School as a janitor. While still working at the school in the late 1960′s, Art began working for the U.S. Postal Service as a rural mail carrier sub. He eventually became a full time rural mail carrier and on June 30, 2000, he retired after 31 years as a postal carrier.

In 1996, Art started the Tire Shop in Diagonal and operated it through the summer of 2020.

Art loved his town and he was very active in Diagonal. He served on the Diagonal City Council, Diagonal Fire Department, Diagonal Lions, and the Diagonal Development Corporation. He also helped to get the flower pots on Main Street and helped water the flowers every summer.

On Oct. 7, 1962, Art married Victoria Reynolds. To this marriage, two daughters were born: Julie Rae in 1963 and Ronda Kae in 1967.

On Nov. 23, 1984, Art married Barbara Larsen. The Fountain Hills, Arizona, area has been their winter home since 2013. Art raced stock cars from the 1960s into the early 70s and loved every minute of it. He really enjoyed teasing and pulling pranks on his grandkids and nieces and nephews. He loved to fish, feed the birds and squirrels, but he will forever be remembered as a loving husband, dad and grandpa.

Art was preceded in death by his parents, Mark and Elizabeth Garrett; sisters Martha Garrett in infancy, Ruby (Bud) Comer and Dorothy Smith; parents-in-law Richard and Darlene Larsen; nephew Steve Comer.

Survivors include his wife Barb Garrett of Diagonal; daughters Julie (Bob) Malcom of Mount Ayr and Ronda (Chris) Evans of Diagonal; grandchildren: Neely (Sam) Erickson of Urbandale, Heath Evans (Jordan Wymore) of Tingley, Colter Pickering of Cedar Rapids, Chayse Malcom of Clarinda, Kade (Amber) Malcom of Clarinda, Shaylen (Aaron) Linke of Clarinda, Rob (April) Evans of Creston, Kerri (Jeromy) Levi of Norwalk, Scott Evans (Dustie Abell) of New Virginia; 11 great grandchildren; brother Ernie (Mary Jane) Garrett of Diagonal; brother-in-law Ray Dean (Karen) Larsen and sister-in-law Paula Larsen, all of Clearfield; nieces, nephews and a host of good friends.