Lorraine Marie Garner was born Nov. 19, 1944, in Coalinga, Calif. In 1947, her family moved to the small town of Cave Junction, Ore. There was no school in Cave Junction, so Lorraine went to Kerby Grammar School, located in Kerby, Ore., about 10 miles from Cave Junction. She said she rode the school bus.

In 1957, her family moved to Seattle, Wash. She graduated from Evergreen High School in 1963. After graduation, she did live-in babysitting. She said she worked away from home Monday through Friday.

Lorraine met her husband, Howard, at a YMCA dance on Jan. 1, 1965. She said she fell in love with him after their first dance together. He was in the navy, stationed at Bremerton, Wash. He was on a submarine tender, the USS Simon Lake, which was being built. They dated for three months before he was transferred to Charleston Naval Base in South Carolina. She said they kept in touch by writing letters to each other almost every day.

Carol Baker/Courier

Although Lorraine Garner was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and even spent time living in Scotland with her husband, Howard, the two have called Pickens home since 1990. In October 1965, Howard took a furlough and went to Seattle to see Lorraine. He wanted to show his love for his girlfriend, so he took her on a train ride, and while they were on the train, he asked her to marry him. Lorraine said yes.

Howard called his father, who lived in Randolph, Minn., and asked him to transfer money from his personal banking account, call the airport in Seattle and have them to reserve a one-way plane ticket for Lorraine to fly to Charleston. She said back then no identification was needed to board a plane. She left Seattle on March 5, and she and Howard were married on March 18, 1966.

Howard’s ship sailed to Scotland soon after they were married. Five months later, Lorraine flew to Scotland to be with him. She lived there from August 1966 to May 1968. Their first child was born in Scotland. They have three daughters, three grandsons and two granddaughters. They also have one great-grandchild.

Howard was discharged from the Navy in 1982. They lived in Goose Creek until they moved to Pickens in 1990.

Lorraine said she never had a career. She was a stay-at-home mom until their youngest child started to school, then she worked in delis and fast-food restaurants. Howard works at the Central Railroad Museum.

Lorraine’s favorite thing to do is sew. She likes to cross stitch, embroidery and quilt.

She goes to the Pickens Senior Center and takes an art class.

She likes to act. She has been in five plays at the Easley Foothills Playhouse. She has also worked backstage there. She is currently practicing to be in a play that will be presented at the Pickens Senior Center when the auditorium is completed.

Easley resident Carol Baker highlights interesting local residents and helps us get to know more about the fascinating people who call Pickens County home. If you have someone somewhere who you think people should know about, contact us at news@thepccourier.com.