Garlin L. "Red" Farabee

Garlin "Red" Farabee was a tough man, a proud man, but most of all, a good man. He was a member of the Greatest Generation, when men were cut from a different cloth, yet he also had a softer, gentler side, too. Garlin was a faithful husband, a devoted father and a doting grandfather, who loved to share the stories of his adventures with those closest to him. His stories, and his love, live on in all who knew him today.

Garlin's story began on a hot, humid July day in 1915, in the town of Altoona, Alabama. Those were difficult times for many in this country, as the globe was embroiled in the conflict of World War I, and America struggled to change from the Industrial Age to the Progressive Era. Yet in the town of Altoona, one family found reason to celebrate. On July 5, 1915, Osie and Allie (Phillips) Farabee celebrated the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Garlin.

The Farabees were a large family, as Garlin was the third of eight children, and the family lived on a farm in Altoona. His hardworking father also worked a second job as a miner to help make ends meet, while his mother had her hands full with eight children and a farm to run. Naturally, there were plenty of chores for all the children to go around on the farm, and the family grew plenty of crops for their own use. Altoona was a small, tight-knit community, where everyone knew everyone, and everyone certainly knew the Farabee boys, who were a close, rough-and-tumble group. Garlin got along well with his siblings, and together they worked hard on the farm, and played hard off of it, too.

During Garlin's teenage years, America was mired in the dark days of the Great Depression, which like so many others, had a profound impact on young Garlin, and the man he would someday become. In those days especially, the family did whatever they could to put food on the table, and often smoked their own meat.

Garlin was a big, strapping young man, and even earned a football scholarship to Southern Methodits University in Texas. However, he missed the training deadline, so he had to settle to being a walk-on on the Jacksonville State team in Alabama.

In 1936, when Garlin was just 20 years old, he met a beautiful young woman named Louise Bates on the steps of the church,and the sparks flew between them. They dated for a year, before running off to Ashville, Alabama to elope on June 30, 1937, beginning a lifelong romance on that hot summer day.

With the dark skies of World War II soon looming overhead, Garlin was called up for military service three times during the war. Each time he was granted a reprieve for some reason or another, thankfully sending him back to his beloved Louise. She worked as a floor manager for S.H. Kress Department Store in Gadsden, Alabama, while Garlin found a job at a steel mill to support his bride and soon-to-be-growing family. It wasn't long before Garlin and Louise were blessed with their first child, Nicaea "Nish," followed by Ivol Lynn, then the boys, Ben and David.

As Garlin's life advanced he became known as "Red" in reference to his red hair. His job as an iron worker required him to be where the work was, of course, which meant being away from his family most of the week. He was always so excited to return home on weekends to spend time with his family. He loved to sit with the kids, reading them comic books, or telling them stories from all his many adventures.

In 1947 the family began traveling togehter as David, an infant contracted pneumonia, Red and Louise wanted the family to be closer. Red had worked on the Silver Dome in New Orleans and moved to St. Louis, Bedford, Indiana and Illinois. In 1955, Garlin and his family moved north, to the sandy shores of Holland, Michigan, where he found better opportunities. He continued his trade as an iron worker, and helped build the G.E. Building, and the Port Sheldon Consumers Power Plant.

Of course, Red was far from all work and no play. He loved to sight-see and travel, or tend to his amazing garden. Garlin had a great interest in gardening, particularly in unusual or rare species of plants and trees, which he lovingly nurtured to fruition. He was also an amazing storyteller, and even authored three books about his adventures and interesting experiences during the Great Depression.

He also loved to sit his grandkids upon his knee, or huddled around him, and tell them spooky stories during Halloween, one of his favorite times of year. Red even made his own haunted trail, complete with sound effects! He got such a kick out of scaring the grandkids and all their friends, too.

Red simply loved to spend time with his grandchildren, and enjoyed being a grandfather more than anything. Even though he wasn't a verbally-expressive man, he took such pride in his children and grandchildren. He was a tough, opinionated man, with a strong personality. Like those stories he'd tell the kids, Red could be a little scary sometimes, a little tough on the outside but the grandchildren enjoyed being engaged in the fantasy

Garlin was a man of great faith, as well, and attended many area Baptist Churches in addition to donating to many charities and was especially committed to the Forgotten Man Ministry and the Holland Rescue Missio

Garlin L."Red" Farabee, age 91, of Holland, died Wednesday August 23, at Lakeside Vista of Holland. He was born July 5, 1915 in Altoona, Alabama to Osie and Allie (Phillips) Farabee. He is survived by his wife Louise, a daughter Nicaea "Nish" (Wayne) Overbeek of Holland, a son, Ben (Ann) Farabee of Kiawah Island, South Carolina,grandchildren, Michael (Angela) Overbeek, Matthew (Michelle) Overbeek, Mark (Robin) Overbeek, Kelly (Scott) Kloote-Mingerink, Kevin (Paula) Kloote, Scott (Wendy) Farabee, Julie(Dan) Farabee Carlson, Todd Farabee, Molly (Clay) Farabee Davis, Megan (Eric) Farabee Peterson, great grandchildren, Luke and Logan Overbeek, Micholas and Abigail Overbeek, Brittney and Justice Overbeek, Derek and Trent Mingerink, Tucker, Colton and Bryar Kloote, Charlie Carlson, Andelen Farabee, sisters, Mary Sue (John) Parham of Gadsden, Alabama, Betty Daniel of Southside, Alabama, a brother J.C. Farabee of Gadsden, Alabama, daughter in law Sally Farabee and son in law Richard Kloote. Garlin was preceded in death by a daughter Ivol Lynn Kloote in 1989 and a son, David Farabee in 2001. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Friday at the Northwood Chapel of Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, 295 Douglas Ave, Holland. A funeral service will be held 10:30 A.M Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Holland. Memorials may be given to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com for more information