Garth died Tuesday at his home following a lengthy battle with colon cancer. Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, 102 W. Barton. Officiating will be the Rev. Michael Brandes, pastor of Heights Baptist Church, and the Rev. Roscoe Harrison, pastor of Eighth Street Baptist Church. Scanio-Harper Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements. An informal reception will follow at the Temple Elks Lodge, 2613 Airport Road, where Garth used to regale compadres with his humor and shrewd political observations.
This past weekend, friends gathered at the Garth home to watch the Kentucky Derby. Garth, who appreciated equine sports and horse flesh, had told friends that he wanted to make it “to one more Derby.” Friends brought racing forms, tickets, racing glasses and Derby shirts. Garth was pleased that his pick, Big Brown, took home the roses.
Although Garth was honored on April 7 for his vision in creating the Bell County Expo Center in 1987, he took personal pride in his efforts to preserve the county’s water supplies through 2040 and the creation of video education technology. Bell County has been a leader in both issues.
Under Garth’s watch, Bell County underwent the largest building boom since the opening salvos of World War II and strengthened its social services by giving residents quicker access to information.
Garth championed the idea of creating the Expo Center despite criticism and controversy. Recently renamed the John C. Garth Arena in his honor, the Expo Center has been a boon to tourism and a venue for hundreds of events from stock shows and rodeos to hockey and graduations to live entertainment and antique shows.
On the surface, Garth seemed to be an anomaly in county government: His immediate predecessors and his successor were all been attorneys. When 34-year-old Garth took office in 1979, he was a former public school educator and principal who had interests in his family’s cattle ranching business.
He originally wanted to run for state representative in 1979, but longtime family friend and attorney Jim Bowmer dissuaded him, said Garth’s wife, the former Rebecca Simmonds. “Jim suggested he run for county judge,” she said. With his close friend John Roark as campaign chairman, Garth decisively defeated the incumbent in 1978, winning every precinct. He remained unopposed in the 1981 and 1985 races, despite Ronald Reagan’s coattails and the GOP’s grassroots efforts to oust him.
When he first took office, about 158,000 called Bell County home, and the Commissioners’ Court was solidly Democratic. The county also labored with about $2 million in debt, and taxes had risen 26 percent.
By the time he left office in 1999, the population was more than 238,000, and the tax rate was among the lowest in the state.
The Temple Daily Telegram, endorsing his 1985 re-election, cited his progressive leadership in upgrading the county’s services and procedures. “The Bell County Commissioners Court with Garth at the helm has constantly been looking at what needs to be done to prepare the county for the future,” the Telegram said in its editorial.
Garth, with his quick wit and disarming personality, was able to get diverse people working together and building on each other’s strengths and training. Retired Col. Jack Oliver of Belton served as county commissioner during Garth’s tenure. He reflected on his 12 years of working with him. “I would say without a doubt John Garth always had the best interest of the Bell County citizens at heart. He maintained an open-door policy for the citizens, even those who came to give him ‘a few words.’ And he kept our taxes down while he was at it,” Oliver said.
As he prepared to leave office and not seek re-election in 1998, Garth was customarily modest about his achievements. He joked that the only reason why so many attended his courthouse retirement party was for the free food.
He preferred to give credit to the county’s citizens themselves. “Bell County is looked on as the model …” he said. “During my 20 years here, we’ve taken this from a rural setting where the county government was in the background to being in the forefront … If people want to get something accomplished, they ask for the county government to do it. When I took office 20 years ago, people really didn’t even know what county government was. I think now people pretty well know what the county judge and the commissioners do.”
Garth has been honest about the Bell County issues he couldn’t solve - particularly I-35 traffic.
Garth and his wife have deep roots in Bell County. Born in Temple on July 26, 1943, to Sam Garth Jr. and Verna Lee Canuteson Garth, Garth is a 1961 Temple High graduate who attended Temple College and later earned a bachelor’s in education and worked on a master’s degree in political science, both at North Texas State University. The Garths have a daughter, Elizabeth, and two sons, John Jr. of San Diego, Calif., and Travis; and seven grandchildren.
In retirement and miles away from politics, Garth focused on land and real estate development for his longtime friends, Weldon and Bruce Whitis, and their G.W. Development. In the ensuing years, restaurants and shopping centers popped up in the county, thanks to their efforts.
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