Paula Jean (Miller) Garrison (1965 - 1993)

Born 29 Jul 1965 in Lima, Allen, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Died 8 Aug 1993 at age 28 in Colorado Springs, El Paso, Colorado, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Christine Miller [send private message]

Biography

Paula was born on July 29, 1965 in Lima, Ohio. She was the daughter of Rex Miller and Etta Shaver. When Paula was born, as her sister, I was thrilled until I had to help fold her cloth diapers!

As she grew up, she was active in music programs at school and church. At school, she performed both as a soloist and as part of the school choirs. Paula attended the First Baptist Church of Scottsdale with her parents and sister. When she attended church in Colorado Springs, she also directed the Children's Choir.

Paula attended Pueblo Elementary School and Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. After high school, she attended Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Social Work.

For a year during high school, Paula was the school mascot for all athletic events. She was the Saguaro Sabercat. Her memories of that time, as told to me, her sister, was that it was HOT...REALLY HOT...doing this in a heavy costume in the extremely hot weather of Arizona, but incredibly fun, especially when she got to be with the young kids at the games.

After college, she married in Scottsdale, Arizona to her best friend, Wendell Garrison, whom she met at college. They went on to work for Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp in Payson, Arizona...he as the director and Paula as the cook.

Eventually, they moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where her husband became the director of Black Forest Camp and Conference Center for the America Baptist Churches. Initially, Paula was the cook, but she quit because she was pregnant with her daughter, Emily. After Emily's birth, she began working as a Social Worker with the geriatric population of Colorado Springs, finally working in her field of study.

Paula was diagnosed on 25 August 1992 with metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary. The tumor had appeared on her neck and was wrapped in the scalenus muscles of her neck. She fought long and hard to live, but the cancer took over her body causing her to die on 8 August 1993. She left behind a husband and a 2 1/2 year old daughter. On the day of her death, her parents and husband left the hospital to see a brightly colored rainbow in the sky. We now refer to all rainbows as Paula's rainbows!

Sources

• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019. (from the Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 8 Sep 1993).
• Ancestry.com. Global, Find a Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2020. Publication Date: 6/ Nov/ 1988; Publication Place: Phoenix, Arizona, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/121797306/?article=86907426-47ec-45a1-81e3-92551dcf2b09&focus=0.5027603,0.57335836,0.6200455,0.7690715&xid=3398
• Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., Birth Index, 1908-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Ohio Department of Health, Index to Annual Births, 1968-1998; Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit; Columbus, OH, USA
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.