Garland Pepper
Mar 12, 1940 — Jul 19, 2026
Garland Pepper, age 86, of Sikes, Louisiana, was called to his heavenly home on Sunday, July 19, 2026. He was born in Sikes, Louisiana, on March 12, 1940, to Lawson and Essie Pepper. Garland was the seventh of eight children in the family.
Garland graduated from Northeast Louisiana State College in 1962 with a degree in Science Education. He immediately began his working career as a high school science teacher at Colfax, Louisiana High School. This love of teaching and educating was woven throughout Garland’s life. He spent the bulk of his working career at the Texaco Louisiana Plant Refinery in Convent, Louisiana, where he finished his career as the director of Human Resources, once again conducting training and administering employee benefits among other responsibilities. Further, Garland spent a lifetime teaching Sunday school to adults at various churches they attended in Louisiana. Garland was instrumental in establishing and leading Baptist Men groups that traveled across North America from Alberta, Canada to Mexico, from Binghamton, NY to Pioche, NV, and many places in between, working with other Bible-believing people to construct dozens of churches where people could gather to worship. These same Baptist Men groups served victims of various natural disasters by performing acts of service, from clearing downed trees to helping to prepare and serve meals to victims and fellow workers. He truly lived a full and meaningful life that impacted those he met in a positive way. James 2:22-27 was a perfect description of how Garland lived his life. He was a doer of the word and not a hearer only.
Growing up on their family farm in Sikes, Garland developed a love for gardening, always sharing the fruits of his labor with family and friends. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, and papaw.
Garland was preceded in death by his parents, Lawson & Essie Pepper, and four brothers, Lewis, Leroy, Dale & Carl Pepper, and two sisters, Lorene Greene and Geraldine Compton. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Parker Pepper; children, David Pepper and Regina Hamilton and their respective spouses, Shari Pepper and Richard Hamilton; grandchildren, Matthew Hamilton and fiancé Chelsea Drake, Dana Pepper, Benjamin Hamilton, Whitney Buerkens and husband Robert Buerkens, and one great-grandchild, Chase Hamilton, son of Benjamin and Cynthia Baldazo; and brother Howard Pepper
Cheryl Pepper and family will receive friends and family in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, Louisiana on Saturday, July 25th from 9:30 am until 11:00 am, with a funeral service to follow immediately at 11:00 am, officiated by Reverends Brian McCallister and Trey Etheridge. Burial will follow at Wright Cemetery in Sikes, Louisiana, under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro, LA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you support First Baptist of Jonesboro or Samaritan’s Purse, two organizations Garland served through.