1961 SHS GRAD PENS BOOK ON HIS MUSINGS AND INSPIRATIONS

by Krista Norton | September 12, 2024

Trying to heal from the loss of his wife, 1961 SHS graduate, Garry Warner, at the advice of his family physician and friend, suggested journaling to overcome his grief. 
The result, many years in the making, is a published book entitled Musings of a Walmart Greeter.  The book contains entertaining and inspirational stories.
Warner was born in Syracuse at the Donahue Memorial Hospital in 1943 and grew up on a farm in Southwest Kearny County. He attended a country school until his freshman year. His parents bought a home in Syracuse where he finished high school. 
Growing up in Syracuse, he recalls experiencing the hospitality and the generosity of a small town. Returning to visit, it makes him proud of his roots in Syracuse. “It will always, always, always be an important part of whatever story I have.” 
His parents were Clifford and Thelma Warner. He had a sister, Pat, older brother Leroy “Bud,” and a younger brother Larry. 
Having a love for music and a voice that would fill the sanctuary of the Syracuse Methodist Church when he would visit, he attended Bethany College, then transferred to Emporia State. 
He was a music major in college, and auditioned with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, “But I did not like the lifestyle, so I went a different direction.”
His music talent has been used over the years for church and personal solos. Returning to Syracuse for a class reunion one year, Warner performed the National Anthem while the colors were presented at the alumni parade. 
He settled in Wichita where he met and married his wife, Shirley. They enjoyed 39 years together before her death in 2010. 
He worked as a small loan officer at a loan company in Wichita. Brent Davis, who owned Davis Moore Olds, invited him to work for him as a finance and insurance manager. That was when the door opened for an over 40 years career in the car business.  Once they owned their own dealership, Warner Pontiac GMC Truck, in St Louis, MO. 
Garry encountered many true friends along the way who have blessed him and helped him through many trials and victories, one of which led them to Sikeston MO., where he lives today. 
It was there where he and Shirley had an opportunity to manage Premier Motor Company, a premium type used car operation, until she passed. 
It was a very difficult time for Garry, losing his beloved Shirley. A regular visit to his family doctor, and a concerned friend, asked him if he had ever considered journaling to which Warner replied, “Well, of course I had not. I was a car man, I was busy all the time, I did not have time to write.” 
But Warner took his advice and began journaling. One evening he had some friends over and one noticed his computer open and asked what he was doing. “I told them I was simply journaling. They asked if they could read it and told me I must consider writing a book!”
“I don’t know how other people resolve big decisions or situations, but I prayed.About three weeks later, I woke early in the morning and this thought kept running through my head, ‘Everybody’s got a story!’” 
After several more of these coincidences, he felt God was speaking to him.  He knew he needed to do something but wasn’t sure what.  
Several weeks later standing at a self-checkout, he looked up and thought, ‘Oh my, they are all in here! And they all have stories.’ “Three weeks later, I applied for a job as a greeter at the Sikeston Walmart to write my book, Musings of a Walmart Greeter.” 
“I actually had the title before I had the job. That was seven and a half years ago,” said Warner. 
There are twenty-five chapters in the book, some titled, “The Devil Made Me Do It” and “The Man with no Pants.”  Another is “Leggings and Pajamas.” “You get the point!” he laughed, “Every time the door swings open at Walmart, a new story comes through there.”  
Warner shares about the day he met an older man leaning against the wall, wearing a veterans hat. “I was sure he was a World War II veteran.” Stopping to visit him, he asked him about his service and found out he did serve in WWII. 
Warner said, “Oh my goodness, you are a hero!” The man dropped his head, appearing to be bothered by his statement and said, “No! The ones who did not come home are heroes.”  
It was Christmas so there were a lot of people in and out of Walmart, so Warner, got his emotions under control. He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, please take a moment of your time and say thank you to this gentleman. he is a WWII hero!” 
Warner said the next few minutes were nothing short of amazing. One gentleman saluted him. One person kissed him on his cheek.  Warner saw a change came over him. He stood a little taller, trying to take in what was happening to him.
In the meantime, the veteran’s daughter came up to the crowd, crying, thinking something had happened to him. Warner said, “It’s OK they are just thanking him.He’s a hero. It was a crazy scene and then it was over.” 
“This is how God came along and got Garry back on track,” said Warner. “There are two things that matter a lot to me, patriotism and God.” 
The next to last chapter is “Let Freedom Ring,” where he talks about how Walmart came to pass and how it could only happen in America. “I talk about how my parents bought a farm in western Kansas with practically nothing. In fact, Syracuse is mentioned several times in the book.” 
One chapter is about a man sitting on a walker. The gentleman appeared to be about 80 pounds and was in the way of people leaving the store. Warner thought, ‘What do I do, he’s in the way.’ He approached the gentleman to find out what was going on.
Warner asked if everything was alright. The gentleman met his gaze and said no. Asking what the problem was, the gentleman told Warner he was going to die in two weeks!
Warner explained, “What do you say? He’s a stranger! I was speechless but I remember saying ‘I’m so sorry sir, I don’t know what to say, but I worship a God that does. Is it OK if I say a short prayer for you?’” 
“Right there in Walmart!” Warner exclaimed, “I could have gotten fired!” This is not okay, but it’s okay with God.” So, he prayed over him and the man looked up and said, “You are the first person since I was diagnosed with cancer that has had the courage to say I want to help!” 
Warner said,“You can’t put a value on that experience.” 
The final chapter is, “God and Me”. “This book will be read by many people who have never gone to church, people who have no personal relationship with God, and I wanted a humorous, folksy way for people to see the face of Jesus, which appears throughout the book,” said Warner. 
The book had interruptions though, “I had thirteen operations, met and remarried, my second wife who would have a massive stroke one year after we were married, leaving her completely paralyzed on the right side, unable to talk and think clearly. She required care twenty-four seven.” 
He took a six month leave from work. “I paid for help as long as I could afford it, She was from the Philippines and not eligible for insurance.” It was devasting financially and drained his life savings. She died a year later. 
Why would someone apply to be a greeter at Walmart, you might ask. Warner said it was part financial, “I needed income!” But he admits he is wired pretty tight, and service oriented. 
“Working forty hours a week, I am blessed with pretty good health.” 
When he was hired, his position was Greeter, but it is now called Customer Host. “We are really the people at the door as a deterrent to theft, which is a huge problem in retail today.” 
Which brings him to a chapter in his book, “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” 
“This funny story references something that happened at Daughtery’s Drug Store in Syracuse when I was a boy.” 
Warner recalls receiving the book from his publisher, and remembers opening it up. He saw Musings of a Walmart Greeter, copyright 2024, author Garry Warner! “And when I saw the Library of Congress number, I broke down and cried. It was such a powerful moment.” 
“There were so many emotions. It had taken me through a long period of my life and to see that in writing, I read the whole book! When I got through, I knelt and said God, thank you!” 
So, what’s next for Garry Warner? For now, he says, “I hope there’s a future as an author! My publisher tells me I will be able to do book signings the rest of my life. If the book really takes off, I plan to buy a motor home and travel, doing book signings.”
“Walmart has been nice to me, telling me I can go to all 4,600 Walmart stores for book signings. We are planning a big launch here in Sikeston when the first edition arrives in early October,” added Warner. 
Juggling his work schedule, after the launch, he plans to travel to Topeka, Emporia, and Wichita, and then several stops making his way to western Kansas, hopefully alumni weekend, 2025. 
“Here I am 81 years old. I have lived so much, and been blessed in many ways. This book has opened a whole new life. I don’t know where it’s going to take me. I just know it’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope it inspires people to give back. It’s what God expects us to do,” said Warner.