Notes:
Decatur Daily Democrat, Adams County, Indiana, Monday, May 10, 1982
Robert E. Garard, 87, of Monroeville, formerly of Decatur, died at 11:30 p.m. Sunday evening at the Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, following an extended illness.
Mr. Garard retired Sept. 23, 1971 from the Decatur Democrat, where he had worked for 59 years, starting in midsummer, 1912. When Mr. Garard started with the Democrat, all type was set by hand; he was both the first, and last, linotype operator for the company, spanning the entire period of line-set hot type
In 1917, during World War 1, he was turned down for both enlistment and conscription because of a "bad heart"; in spite of the diagnosis, he outlived the diagnosticians by many years.
He was born in Adams County May 27, 1894, the son of George E. and Louisa B. Fuhrman-Garard. On Oct. 9, 1917 he was married to Josie Mumma, and they lived for many years on W. Monroe Street. They had one daughter, Mrs. Patricia Louth, of Fort Wayne; two grandchildren, Ricky and Debra, and two great-grandchildren. Mrs. Garard died Feb. 28, 1968.
Garard started work in 1911 at the Decatur Times, a Republican newspaper, located at Third and Monroe, but it went bankrupt about a year later. He then applied to John H. Heller, publisher of the Democrat and grandfather of the present publisher, for a job, and was hired working in the job shop until the Linotype was purchased in 1916.
In 1926 he attempted to work at the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, but a supervisor asked him for his union card, and since he wasn't a union member, he couldn't work there. Mr. Garard returned to the Democrat, and Heller rented him a house on Winchester street for the winter. He later moved to Mercer and High streets, and rented for $15 a month, until moving to 904 W. Monroe.
Garard was also the first Democrat employee to retire on a pension. In the 1950's he was elated by the fact that he had finally achieved a lifetime goal-working for $100 a week take-home pay. Later, and even in retirement, he received much more than that.
For many years he was an avid sports fan, following the local high school football and basketball teams.
On July, 22, 1972, he married Ruth Schlemmer of Monroeville, and they took up residence in that town, spending their winters in Arizona or Florida. The second Mrs. Garard survives, with Mr. Garard's step-daughter, Mrs. Eileen Rigby, of Decatur, three step-grandchildren, and five step-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Garard was a member of the Monroeville United Methodist Church.
Friends may call at the Marquart Funeral Home, Monroeville, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. at the Marquart Funeral Home, the Rev. Stephen Holdskom officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur Cemetery.
Preferred memorials are to the Allen County Cancer Society or the Monroeville EMS.