Martha Irene Dean Garrett

On Thursday afternoon Nov.24, 2022 my beautiful green eyed Mother, Martha Irene Dean Garrett , gained her angel wings, after a brief illness sweet peace was given to her for all eternity. To know her was to love her, she never met a stranger and had a knack for finding out a lot about people in a very short time.  While she was short in stature and soft spoken , she was fierce, determined, strong, loyal, kind and loved big " A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck X 3". 

While she had many names: Doodle, Short Stuff, Sister, Geraldine, Mother, Grammie or GiGi the last three are the ones she was most proud of. She loved her family big, to the moon and back. 

Born and raised just inside Cherokee  County, Georgia. She was a 1964 graduate of Forsyth County High School. She was a long time member and former Sunday school teacher of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Cumming, Ga where she attended weekly services, always supporting the Pastors with her prayers and her sweet smile. She started working in the insurance field not long after high school, and was a agent for several different agencies before starting to work in the mid 1980's at Waters Insurance Agency, Cumming, Georgia,  where she worked until the day before she passed away. She always kidded that she was gonna work till the hearse picked her up, well Mother you almost did that. She loved reading books, her favorite was the bible. She loved to be outside working in the yard, flower garden, growing vegetables, mowing the lawn (with a push mower) and bird watching. She was an awesome cook and baker, one time at a silent auction her famous Red Velvet Cake sold for $100. 

She always took pride in her appearance, and if you know her you know that every day she wore a brooch (pin). She had a large collection and always remembered who gave each one to her. She was also known to leave lipstick prints on your cheek after a big ole hug. 4 years ago a stroke slowed her down, but she was determined not to let it get the better of her. The very next morning after a 2 week hospital stay she was up bright and early making biscuits, she said I have to see if I can still do it and she did, in her words they aren’t very pretty, I told her that didn’t matter they tasted great. She started working part-time after the stroke, if you call 4 days a week part time. She loved working and being able to chat with new people or catching up with old friends. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, George & Ruby Lee Dean; brother Charles Dean; sister Mildred Croy. Left behind to try and carry on her sweet spirit are , her beautiful Princess daughter(her words not mine ) Dawn Michelle Garrett-Martin and her companion John O'Dell,; grandsons and granddaughters in love, Rusty & Ashley Turner, Dawsonville Ga; Craig Turner & Kelly Holtzclaw, Gainesville Ga. Great-grandchildren : Charlotte, Garrett, Philip, Ethan & Mia. Special Nephew, Michael Fain, who she loved like a son. He was always doing things to help her out, and she was so proud of him. Bonus daughter, Paula Samples, being Dawn's best friend turned into more as the years passed, she loved her just like a daughter. She always told her & Dawn that they were like true sisters, because they fought like it. Bonus grandchildren, Paul & Sheree Samples; Kellie & Chandler Johnson. Bonus great-grandchildren; Carah & Dillon Samples, Katlyn, Emma & Elizabeth Johnson. Also survived by her sister/ brother in law Jean & Robert Holland. Brother, Keith Dean along with other nieces & nephews. 

Funeral services will be held Monday, November 28, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel of Ingram Funeral Home in Cuming, GA, with Rev. Randy Richards, and Rev. Danny Orr officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday from 1:00 p.m. until the hour of service.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Georgia School Nutrition Foundation 2372 Main St. Tucker, Ga 30084 or Planet a tree in her memory at National Forest Foundation https://www.nationalforests.org Or the charity of your choice in her memory. 

Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory, Cumming, Georgia is in charge of arrangements