Obituary: Denzil Paul Garvin, of Guardian, Age 80

Denzil & Ruby Garvin

Denzil Paul Garvin, 80, of Bear Run in Guardian, died Saturday after a brief hospitalization.

Denzil was born on October 18, 1932 and was a lifelong resident of the Guardian area, formerly known as Removal. He is survived by his wife, Ruby Ware Garvin, whom he married on August 27, 1955. He and Ruby had the following children: Chester, Wayne, Stanley, Shirley, Kim, Matt, Charles, Carey, and Patricia. He was predeceased by his parents, Albert and Bertha Hall Garvin. Denzil's viewing at Dodd & Reed Funeral Home in Webster Springs will be Monday, February 4, 2013, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., and the funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, followed by a burial at the Cogar Cemetery in Guardian. Here is a link to his obituary on the Dodd & Reed  website:
http://www.doddreedfh.com/index.php/obituaries/details/408-denzil-garvin

Brothers Carl, Denzil, & Ray Garvin

In 2001, when the editor of the Commentator was compiling information and pictures for the book "Removal Reflections: A History of Removal/Guardian, West Virginia," Denzil was not only a great contributor to the book but also one of its best salesman. Denzil provided all of the information about his family's roots in the Guardian area and we re-print the same below (along with all of the photos in the book of Denzil) in tribute to Denzil's life:

Denzil, & nephew, at
Narrow's Run, 1940's

Albert Garvin was born in 1894 and died in 1965. His wife, Bertha Alice Hall, was born August 23, 1894 and died on April 14, 1947. Albert was the son of William "Bill" Garvin. Bertha was the daughter of Levi M. "Lee" Hall, Sr. and Virginia Catherine (Schrader) Hall. Albert and Bertha were the parents of 11 children: Mike (who married Carol Cochran), Denzil Paul (who married Ruby Ware), Ray (who married Coreen Hamrick), Carl (who married Loreen Hamrick), Doyle (who married Edith "Wimpy" Tanner), Charles "Bud" (who married Margie Armentrout), Bonnie (who never married), Leatha (who married Paul Cook), Opal (who married Leslie Carpenter), Erma (who married Harrison Sharp), and Auda (who married Sherman Sharp).

Denzil, with sister Leatha in 1934.

According to Denzil Garvin, Albert and Bertha raised their family in the Long Fork of Narrow's Run [below Guardian] during the late 1920's, the 1930's, and up until the mid-1940's. They lived in a one-story house on the left side of the very mouth of the Long Fork. The house was originally built by the Pardee & Curtin Lumber Company for the use of its workers who were logging Narrow's Run.

Denzil recalls the house had no electricity nor running water, and had an outdoor privy and a cellar house. The house had vertical wood siding and it was heated with a pot-bellied stove, which was either wood or coal-fired. Dinners were prepared in a wood-fired cook stove and food could be kept warm in a "warming closet" located above the pot-bellied stove's main body. The pot-bellied stove had double doors, making it easier to load it with wood or coal. Bertha never allowed the cook stove to be fired by coal, as the smoke would ruin the dinner.

Denzil, with Cathy Cochran, 1940's.

The house was lighted with kerosene lamps. Water was drawn from a fresh water spring or from the nearby Narrow's Run creek. Baths were taken in either a large wash tub or in the creek itself. The family raised cows and chickens for milk, eggs, and butter. They raised their own gardens, full of corn and potatoes. Denzil can recall borrowing Daten Cool's horse, "Old Bill," to take corn to a grist mill operated by Earl Cool at Diana.

Denzil and the other Garvin kids attended the Narrow's Run School, located next to the house now occupied by Betty Rockhold. The walk from their home on Long Fork to the school was two miles one way. Lula Carter and Genieve Johnson were two of the teachers recalled by Denzil. Ms. Johnson was particularly kind and attentive to Denzil, making sure he was paddled with a switch almost daily. Denzil had about six kids in his class, as he recalls.

During the 1930's and 1940's, the Garvin's had as their neighbors in Narrow's Run the following families: Daten Cool family, Gib Hall family, Everett Fisher family, and Sherman Sharp and his sister Auda. At the mouth of Narrow's Run, Denzil recalls that there were three "shanties," which were built for the use of the workers at the sawmill operated by James Gibson. He recalls a bunkhouse there that the workers used. At the old Jim Bruffy place (downriver from the mouth of Narrow's Run), Denzil recalls that his dad's sister, Angie Fisher, once lived there. He can also recall that Roscoe Bruffy and perhaps the Virgil Clutter family also once resided at the Bruffy place.

Denzil, in Korea, 1950's.

Denzil, who was born on October 18, 1932, believes that the railroad tracks that once traversed Narrow's Run and along the Holly River, had been taken up for scrap and he has no memory of them as a child. He does recall walking over "foot logs" to cross the river.

Around the year 1946, Albert and Bertha moved their family out of Narrow's Run. They lived in the house near Norm Run where Harlan Hall subsequently lived, and where Harlan's son, Carval, now resides. Bertha became ill and was sick for a year before she died in 1947 of some form of kidney failure.

Denzil (right) hunting with Mike
Ware in Narrow's Run, late 1960's.

For a long period of time, Albert worked in the woods to earn a living. He would walk all the way from Narrow's Run to Diana just to catch a ride so that he could go to the log job work site. Albert also worked in the coal mines.

All of the boys, except for Ray, served in the military. Carl served in World War II in the Navy, as did his brother, Doil. Charles also served in World War II. Mike and Denzil served in Korea. Albert died of leukemia in 1965. Both Denzil and Doil remained in the Removal/Guardian area. Carl moved to Diana, and the other kids moved out of the area. Doil lives a half mile above Weese Run and Denzil lives in Bear Run. Both Denzil and Doil are noted for their hunting skills. They can often be found out in the woods pursuing deer, turkey, and squirrel. Rare is the dinner table that does not include some type of wild game or fish at Denzil's residence.