OZARK…Mrs. Linda M. Garner, a resident of Ozark, died Wednesday morning, June 24, 2026, at her home. She was 83.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in the Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Michael Woodham officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Memory Gardens. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Garner, the daughter of the late John Haley Morris and Neva Lucinda Kirby Morris, was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, where she spent her early years surrounded by family and the values that shaped her life. In 1965, she made Ozark her home, and from the moment she arrived, she poured her heart into the community.
She and her husband, James E. “Jim” Garner, Sr., built something truly special together when they opened El Palacio Mexican Restaurant in 1966. For more than four decades—until March of 2011—the restaurant wasn’t just a place to eat. It was a gathering spot, a warm kitchen full of familiar faces, laughter, and the kind of hospitality that made everyone feel like family. Many people in Ozark grew up with El Palacio as part of their lives, and Mrs. Garner’s presence was at the heart of it.
Outside of the restaurant, she lived a life full of simple joys and creative passions. She loved playing golf on sunny afternoons, sewing with care and patience, line dancing with friends, tending to her yard, and bringing old furniture back to life with her upholstery work. She had a gift for making things beautiful—whether it was a room, a garden, or a moment shared with someone she cared about.
In her earlier years, she also gave her time and energy to the young people of Ozark as a cheerleading coach for the City of Ozark Recreation Department. She encouraged, guided, and cheered on countless children, leaving a mark that many still remember with gratitude.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, James E. “Jim” Garner, Sr.; two sons, Glenn Garner and David Garner; and her brother, Peter Morris. Though she experienced deep loss, she carried herself with strength, grace, and a quiet resilience that inspired those who knew her.
Mrs. Garner will be remembered for her kindness, her hard work, her creativity, and the love she shared so generously with her family, friends, and community. Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched and the memories she leaves behind.
Surviving relatives include her two sons, James “Jimbo” Garner, Jr. (Daniela) and Timothy Earl Garner (Theresa), all of Ozark; three sisters, Wanda Chapman (Vernon), Brenda Madison (John), and Angie Maiden, all of Richmond, Virginia; seven grandchildren, Kayla Hill (Vaughn), Haley Garner (Ryan Holder), Benjamen Garner, Elizabeth Garner, Grant Garner, Gracie Garner, and Kinley Garner; ten great-grandchildren, Rylan Holder, Tatum Hill, Taxton Garner, Lillian Garner, Isabel Garner, Hollis Holder, Wyatt Garner, Jones Hill, Sophie Amos, and Bodie Garner; nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Serving as active pallbearers will be Rocky Widner, Brad Shelley, Benjamen Garner, Tim Garner, Ryan Holder, and Vaughn Hill.
You may sign a guest register at www.fuquabankston.com
