Valera Garrett

Valera Garrett Service - Livestream

Valera Pearl Garrett, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025 at the age of 96 years.

Born Valera Pearl McCumber on January 4, 1929 in Omaha, NE, "Val" was the first child of John and Pearl McCumber. She arrived a couple of minutes before her twin sister, Stella Jane, and a couple of years ahead of another sister, Bonnie. The three girls enjoyed a comfortable childhood, growing up in a brick house on a tree-lined street in Omaha.

After graduating high school in 1947, Val pursued training as a nurse at Immanuel School of Nursing in Omaha. There she met a young Navy veteran from Council Bluffs, IA, who was intending to pursue a career in medicine. W. Gene Garrett and Valera were married in the chapel at Immanuel on August 4, 1951.

Shortly after the wedding, they moved to Iowa City, IA. It was there that Gene attended the University of Iowa College of Medicine, attaining his degree four years later. Val worked as a nurse at the VA Hospital in Iowa City until the birth of their first child (Kevin) in 1954. Additional training in pediatrics took them to Des Moines, IA (where a second son, Mark, was born) and Denver, CO.

Upon completion of Gene's residency in 1958, the young family moved to Bismarck, ND. Two more boys were added (Michael and David) and the family settled in at its final size. God bless a woman who is tasked with raising four boys!

They lived in Bismarck until 1971. These were the happiest years of Val's life. Lifelong friendships were made; she truly enjoyed watching over her boys as they grew up and supporting her husband as he developed his practice. She got involved with her church, enjoyed playing bridge with neighbors and served as a Cub Scout leader for several years.

In 1971, they moved to Mason City, IA, allowing them to be closer to their families of origin. By 1990, Gene was forced to retire due to declining health. Val's nursing background came back into the fore, as she cared for him until his death in 2005.

By that time, she was living in the Twin Cities, where three of her sons had migrated and could provide broader support for her. After developing some health issues of her own, she moved into New Perspective Senior Living in Roseville, where she eventually passed away. In the last weeks of her life, she also received wonderful care from Brighton Hospice services.

Valera is survived by her twin sister Jane Miller (Dick) of Omaha, NE; three of her sons-Kevin (Sharon) of North Venice, FL, Michael (Jayna) of Blaine, MN and David (Andrea) of Stillwater, MN; daughter-in-law Jill Jensen of Plymouth, MN; seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her husband, W. Gene; her son, Mark; and her sister, Bonnie Milam.

Val was especially happy when she was able to spend time at the family cottage on Lake Miltona, near Alexandria, MN. The cottage was built by her parents when she was a young adult. Eventually, she and Gene spent summers there after he retired. Her kids and grandkids spent many weeks there while growing up. Her family is confident that she is now reunited with her beloved husband, sitting on the deck overlooking the lake and enjoying a beautiful sunset.

A memorial service is planned at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 2800 Curve Crest Blvd, Stillwater, MN on Friday August 22, 2025. A livestream of the service may be viewed on Val's obituary page on the Bradshaw website. Public visitation will occur at 9:00 AM, with a memorial service at 10:00 AM. She will be buried next to her husband at the Dumont Cemetery in Dumont, IA.