James Lester Garrott Jr.

James Lester Garrott, Jr., 76, of Proctor, Arkansas, passed away peacefully at his home on March 22, 2024.

Jimmy, as he was best known, was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 13, 1947, the oldest of four children to Jim and Bobbie Lee Garrott. Jimmy grew up in Proctor, Arkansas on the family-owned farm, N.S. Garrott & Sons. He graduated from West Memphis High School and attended the University of Arkansas before returning to the farm, where he joined his dad and uncle, Jack Garrott, in the farming industry. He excelled in the farming business for many years, growing mostly cotton and soybeans.

Years later, his love for country living and wanting to garden, raise chickens and provide for his dogs he took a leap of faith and decided to turn the non-working Cotton Gin into his home. He moved into the empty building and literally built his home around him. The outside stayed the same but the inside was transformed into a beautiful home and museum which was featured on HGTV. He hosted many special events in “The Gin House” as it became known, including the opening night festivities for the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism, wedding receptions, Delta Farm Tours, Arkansas Master Gardner’s, Altrusa Christmas Home Tour and many others. Jimmy enjoyed a wide range of hobbies.

He was a master gardener and a skilled chef, producing a great bounty of vegetables, which he canned, pickled, froze, and shared with all who were willing to come and harvest the crop. He had an eye for and collected fine antiques used in decorating his house, and was forever on the hunt for the unusual, which he displayed in his museum collection in The Gin. He enjoyed landscaping and reading books, evidenced by his his beautiful yard and impressive library collection. In fact, just about the only time Jimmy was sitting down was when he was reading. He was always working on something. He’d make a plan and see it through. No tasks were left undone.

And he was determined to find the best restaurants in three states. However, his absolute favorite activity was spending time with his dogs over the years: Dusty, Brutus, Baby Huey, Buttons, Sinbad, Traveler and Easter Baby, just to name a few. Where Jimmy went, so did his dogs.

Preceding Jimmy in death were his parents, James Lester and Bobbie Lee Loyd Garrott; his brother, Daniel Loyd Garrott; his grandparents, Neely Stanley and Helen Greer Garrott and John Benard and Lacy Northern Loyd; one nephew, Nathan Scott Smith. Those left to cherish Jimmy’s memory include his sisters, Nancy Garrott and Sarah Beth Christian (Don) of West Memphis, Arkansas; step-brother, Ian Garrott (Tiffany) of Memphis, Tennessee; cousins, Lucy Woodson and Peggy Peters of Memphis, Tennessee; Louise Logue of Little Rock, Arkansas, Tim Logue of Hillsboro, North Carolina, Karen “KK” Parker of Forrest City, Arkansas, Susan Smith (David) of Cordova, Tennessee, Rachael Cullman of Jackson, Mississippi and Helen Henson of Fort Smith, Arkansas; several nieces, nephews, and other family members plus a host of friends. He will be missed and remembered with love by all.

A graveside service will take place at Crittenden Memorial Park, 2201 Hwy 64, Marion, Arkansas at 3:00 PM on April 4, 2024. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to West Memphis Animal Shelter, 500 South Loop Rd., West Memphis, AR 72301 or First Baptist Church, 200 N. Missouri St., West Memphis, AR 72301. Online guestbook available at www.rollerfuneralhomes. com/westmemphis for more details.