OBITUARY

Name:    William Earl Garrison

From:  The Colusa Sun-Herald, Colusa, California
Date:  August 2006   

William Earl Garrison passed away peacefully on the morning of August 24 in Williams, California with two of his daughters by his side. He was the 11th of 12 children born to Robert and Ruth Garrison in Baxter, Tennessee where he lived until he was 9 years old.

In the Depression year of 1929 his family auctioned their farm and moved to Palo Cedro, California where he grew up. He worked a milk route for McColl's Ice Cream Company in Redding and was always proud to have helped build the Shasta Dam before graduating from Shasta High School in 1939. "Bill" entered the service during WWII and was honorably discharged from the Merchant Marines at the end of hostilities in 1945.

Deciding to go to work for himself he established and Army & Navy Surplus retail business in East Oakland. In 1949 the place for him to be was Colusa, California. He said it was because he liked the areas' hunting and fishing and it was a good place to raise a family. In 1963 he purchased a building in Williams and moved his business there where he continued to operate it himself until he was 80 years old.

One of his favorite pass-time was people. He enjoyed entertaining customers with an engaging laugh, and a twinkle in his eye while performing a slight-of-hand coin or card trick and physical stunts while guessing what sign they were born under. His other favorite was trying to outwit the stock market, all the while king of his treasure trove of a store. 

William is survived by his son, Jeffery Curtis-Crockett of Lafayette and grandchildren Cade and Maggie Curtis-Crockett; daughter Crickett Spyres of Colusa and grandchildren Barry, Jada and Jilda Spyres; daughter Belinda Titus of Colusa and grandchildren Eric, Jeramie, Amy and Randy Gerrard and Susan Western; daughter Pamela Stadick of Portland and grandchildren Ryan and Gennesseret Stadick; grandchildren Shawn and Joy Hull. He was preceded in death by his oldest daughter Sandra Cooper of Crescent Valley, NV.

Donations may be made in Garrison's honor to Alzheimer Association, Williams Fire Department or Colusa Regional Medical Center