Searcy Preston Gardner was born on August 7,1900 to Horace Newton Gardner(b.6-27-1867) and Lela Suvilla (Lawrimore) Gardner(b.2-3-1877) in Fayette County, Alabama. He tried to join the U.S. Navy at the age of 16, but was found out about and he was headed back home. Searcy had Six other siblings, Melvin Cornellius Gardner(b.5-19-1894), married to(Wileva Humphries), Brice Basil Gardner(b.12-20-1895),married to Winona Stough, Oma Suvella Gardner(Guin)(b.7-14-1898)married to Maurice Guin, Ollie Ozella Gardner (Stough)(b.6-1-1908),married to Lester Stough, Horace Everette Gardner(b.10-21-1912), and Irene Gardner (Verrico)(b.4-9-1916). He got into the beauty shop business with his older brother Melvin Cornellius Gardner and together they invented some kind of hair treatment process. The fumes from the process over the years damaged his lungs disabling him for most of his adult life. Searcy was married 4 times in his life. First to Williard (Morris)Gardner. They had one daughter together, Martha Lacy Maddox. Martha is an acclaimed artist in the town of Dothan, Alabama. Searcy's second marriage was to Leon Louise Tingle from the Corner/Warior area northwest of Birmingham, Alabama. Together they had one son, Searcy Leon Gardner, who worked in HVAC work in Houston, Texas for awhile before becoming an architect and building contractor in the Pomona/Ontario area of California. Searcy's third marriage was to Billie Thacker, they had no children. Searcy's fourth marriage was to Alice Juanita (Phillips)Gardner. They met and were married in or around Dora, Alabama in 1945. They remained together until he passed away. Juanita worked for Singer-Librascope in Glendale, California until she could work no longer. Searcy Preston Gardner passed away on July 10, 1974 in the city of Sun Valley, California. He was interred at Desert Lawn Memorial Park Cemetary, 2200 East Ave. Q, Palmdale, California 93550 in the Patio of Palms area #1A
They are survived by son Ronald Gardner and his wife Frances, and their son Mark Preston Gardner and daughter Adana Loreen Gardner, of Sun Valley, California.