Paul E. Garrett
1935-2010
A Life of Service and the Preservation of Restoration History
Paul Edwin Garrett devoted his life to serving others and preserving the history of the faith he cherished. Through his ministry of benevolence, his historical research, and his willingness to share what he learned, he left a legacy that continues to benefit students of the Restoration Movement.
Born in Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio, on October 8, 1935, Paul was the son of Homer Wilmer Garrett (1893–1970) and Addie McCrork Garrett (1896–1991). After graduating from Barberton High School, he pursued further education at Eastern Christian College in New Jersey, Cincinnati Bible Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. His studies included Bible and psychology, and his obituary also noted his certification in social work in Texas.
In February 1962, Paul married Mary Ann Lang. They began their married life in Barberton, Ohio, where he served as youth minister for the First Church of Christ. In 1967, they moved to Abilene, Texas. There, Paul later served as benevolent minister for the University Church of Christ and directed the Christian Service Center for thirty years.
Paul’s work reflected a servant’s heart. His faith found daily expression in caring for people, meeting their needs, and encouraging them toward Christ. His family saw him as a teacher, encourager, provider, organizer, photographer, husband, and father. Above all, they remembered his example of Christian living.
Alongside his ministry, while at Abilene, Paul developed a deep interest in his family’s heritage and the history of the Restoration Movement under the tutelage of his teacher, friend, and church historian, R. L. Roberts (1925-1998). That interest took him and Mary Ann across the United States and Great Britain, visiting places associated with the movement’s people and congregations. Their travels became a means of preserving information that others could use to discover these places for themselves.
Paul’s obituary credited him with writing six books on church history in the United Kingdom and the United States during the last eight years of his life. Among his contributions were the volumes known collectively as Where Saints Have Trod. The initial volume focused on Kentucky. Others included Where Saints Have Trod & Sung in Great Britain, two volumes of Where Saints Have Trod in Campbell Country, and Where Saints Have Trod in the Expansion.
These books brought together historical background and practical directions to churches, graves, homes, schools and other locations associated with Restoration history. Hand-drawn maps helped readers find sites that might otherwise have remained unknown or difficult to locate. Paul and Mary Ann recorded their journeys with future travelers in mind, making it possible for others to follow in their footsteps.
For this writer, Paul was a kindred spirit. His love for Restoration history in America and abroad closely reflected my own, and his work profoundly influenced my efforts as a church historian. Some of the places I have had the privilege of visiting would never have come to my attention without his research. Others I might have known about but could scarcely have located without his careful directions.
When this website began in 2000, the Garretts’ interests and travel plans helped shape its early direction. Years ago, an online list identified numerous preachers’ graves and other Restoration sites they hoped to visit. Their list soon became part of my own. Many journeys that followed grew from the information they gathered and so generously shared. I owe a considerable debt to Paul and Mary Ann for helping me discover, visit, and document these places.
It was also my privilege to speak with Paul by telephone on several occasions. Whenever I needed information or clarification, he listened willingly and offered his help. Those conversations gave a personal dimension to the gratitude I already felt for his books.
Paul died on December 1, 2010, at the age of seventy-five. His funeral service was held at Campfield Hickman Collier Funeral Home in Barberton, with Mark Brazle officiating. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Wadsworth, Ohio. He was survived by Mary Ann, their daughter Sarah Beth Garrett-Martinez and her husband, Raul Martinez, his sister Phyllis Sulzbach, and other family members and friends.
Not long after learning of Paul’s death, I spoke with Mary Ann. During that conversation, she told me that Paul had wanted to encourage me to continue where he had left off, helping keep the series alive and in print. That message remains both an honor and an encouragement. I hope someday to contribute further to the preservation work he began, both online and in print.
In April 2026, I had the profound privilege of visiting Paul’s grave in Wadsworth. His beautiful marker stands not far from the cemetery’s entrance. Standing there offered an opportunity to reflect on a life whose influence had reached so deeply into my own work.
I remain deeply thankful for Paul and Mary Ann Garrett. Their shared efforts preserved the locations and stories of people whose lives helped shape the Restoration Movement. Through their travels, books, maps, and personal encouragement, they made that history more accessible to those who followed. My own work bears the lasting imprint of their generosity, and I am grateful to help keep their contribution in remembrance.
-Scott Harp, 09.05.2026
Where Saints Have Trod
The cover of one of six volumes authored by Paul. E. Garrett
Directions To Grave
Paul E. Garrett is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Wadsworth, Ohio. Wadsworth lies several miles west of Akron and due south of Cleveland. From Akron, take I-76 west to the Hwy. 94 exit. Turn left and head south. Probably the quickest way to the cemetery is to go to College St. and turn right. Then turn right on West St. You will enter the cemetery on your right and very soon you will see Section 30 on your left. Look for a black marker with white writing about three rows down, next to the drive. The day I visited Wadsworth it was a rainy day. I remember thinking that as Paul was an avid grave hunter in his day, he wanted to leave a grave marker that could be easily located. As I had access to a Find-A-Grave photo of the grave, it was relatively easy to find Paul's grave. As you can see below, the Garretts are buried in Section 30. While in the cemetery, be sure and visit the graves of other restoration church leaders, J. Harrison Jones and J. F. Rowe.
GPS Location Of Grave
41°01'41.8"N 81°44'10.3"W
or D.d. 41.028275,-81.736205
GARRETT
Paul E. - October 8, 1935 - December 1, 2010
Mary Ann - April 29, 1941 - ????
Nothing is more important or more comforting
than an eternally, secured, place with one's
loving CREATOR
P. Garrett
Photos Taken 04.18.2026, 12:54 PM
Webpage produced 09.05.2026
Courtesy Of Scott Harp
www.TheRestorationMovement.com
Special Recognition: It was an extreme pleasure for your webeditor to spend April 16-22, 2026 in the state of Ohio. Hundreds of miles were traversed and a good number of graves of gospel preachers of yesteryear were located. Also, while in the state, I thorough enjoyed preaching a Gospel Meeting at the Alkire Road church of Christ in SW Columbus.