Gwendolyn K Garrison, age 76, passed away surrounded by her family on July 26, 2024 at the Medicalodge of Atchison.
Funeral services will be held 10:00AM, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home in Atchison, Kansas, with Pastor Craig Lantz officiating. Burial will follow the service at Sunset Memory Gardens in Atchison. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 6:00-8:00PM at Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested St. Marks Lutheran Church, Sweet Adelines of St. Joesph, or to the American Cancer Society and may be sent in care of the funeral home. Condolences for the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.
Gwen was born in Atchison, Kansas on October 17, 1947. She attended Atchison public schools graduating in 1965 from Atchison High School. She was a member of the debate team in High School, which served her well throughout her life as she had the upper hand in most arguments! After high school she started her collegiate education at Emporia State College and transferred her sophomore year to Mount Saint Scholastica College. In 1970 she was crowned Miss Kansas for the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. Gwen worked at Tonsing’s Book Store, Commerce Investment, St. Francis Academy in the Admissions Office and Snowden Mize Wholesale Drug Company, where she met her husband, John. They dated for 3-4 years and then married on Friday August 13th, 1971. And what a ride! It would have been 53 years come August.
Gwen had music in her bones from a young age. It started with the church choir at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, having many solo performances. And when she sang ‘O Holy Night’ in what was to become a ritual at Christmas Eve service, it was magical. Gwen played the lead role in many of the musicals performed at AHS and was also in the Top 30 Chorus. In her adult life she found Sweet Adelines and it became her true passion. She sang for many years with the Saint Joseph Show Chorus. She was also a member of quartets, Synergy and Opus IV. She served in several leadership roles including, Midwest Plains Region 7 Board of Directors, Region 7 Regional Management Team, and President of the Saint Joseph Show Chorus for several years. Gwen received Region 7’s Garee Roger’s Award, which is a lifetime achievement award and the Saint Joseph Sweet Adeline of the year award. Gwen was a HUGE Kansas City Chiefs and KU fan. She knew all the players and coaches and knew what everyone should be doing and how they should be doing it. If you were watching the game with Gwen you’d better buckle up! She loved to travel and won a trip for she and John to Australia. The pair also enjoyed many trips with Sweet Adeline competitions. She particularly enjoyed cruises and Hawaii.
Gwen is survived by her husband John Garrison, her brothers, Ron (Carolyn) Kuhn, Dennis (Sharon) Kuhn, sister, Debbie Kuhn (Pamela Rabin), and sister in-law Karen Kuhn. She is preceded in death by both of her parents and brother Keith Kuhn. Gwen loved her family and will be missed by all.
