Garner Mausoleum - Detroit, TX - Mausoleums on Waymarking.com

John Nance Garner was actually "John Nance Garner III". He was born in this area in 1868, and as a young attorney, lived with his parents in a home that still stands here in Detroit. He had a lengthy career in politics, serving as the 32nd Vice President of the United States from 1933 to 1941. After being replaced by Henry Wallace, Garner retired to his home in Uvalde, and lived there until his death in 1967. Interestingly, one of the last things John F. Kennedy did on the morning of November 22, 1963 was to call Garner to wish him a happy 95th birthday.

Vice President Garner is not buried here with his family -- he and his wife are in the Uvalde Cemetery -- but there are Garner family members buried throughout the cemetery, and there are two bronze plaques flanking the mausoleum entrance to note those who are interred herein:

James R. Garner
Nov. 18, 1872 - Feb. 15, 1905

-and-

John Nance (Jack) Garner            1844-1919
Sarah Jane (Guest) Garner           1851-1932
James Roe Garner                       1871-1905
Thaddeus (Thad) Blair                 1870-1916
Garner Lee Blair                          1914-1916
Jolly Garner                                1885-1934
-----

John Nance (Jack) Garner II and Sarah Jane (Guest) Garner were the vice president's parents, and James Roe and Sidney Jolly were also their children. Their daughter, Maud -- who passed on just months after her famous brother -- married Thaddeus Blair. Interestingly, she is not interred inside the mausoleum, but her husband and their young child, Garner Lee, are. The mausoleum looks like there's plenty of room, but obviously, there is no easy way to ascertain its layout.

Given that Findagrave lists James Roe Garner twice, with one listing with a photo of the plaque to the left of the door, and the other with the plaque to the right, it's likely that the left plaque is a correction to the first, as "1871-1905" and "1872-1905" are fairly close for two people of the same name.

History: There is no indication as to when this mausoleum was constructed, as any number of the decedents may have been buried here before it was built, moved into it later. A look at older views on Google Maps indicates that there is brick and concrete underneath, but after a restoration at some point, the façade is stone, with stainless steel covering the two ends. The roof is corrugated stainless steel, and the two bronze plaques listing the interments flank a heavy concrete door with a cursive "G". The family name, "Garner", was over the door at one point, and it may still be there, now covered by the stone work. Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Address: Detroit Cemetery Norris and S Main Streets Detroit, TX USA 75436 Website: [Web Link]

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