Mary Elizabeth Collums Garber of Hampton, died Oct. 19, 2014 at home. She was 77.

Elizabeth was born Feb. 16, 1937 to John Quintus Powell Collums and Thelma Ann Tierce Collums and grew up in Houlka, Miss. Elizabeth graduated from Blue Mountain College, Blue Mountain, Miss. and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Tex.

A gifted musician, she came to Virginia in 1962 as Minister of Music at Starling Avenue Baptist Church, Martinsville, Va. There she met her husband Paul Russell Garber who was then pastor of First Baptist Church, Ridgeway, Va.

In 1978, Paul and Elizabeth moved to Gloucester County, Va., where for 21 years Elizabeth taught choral music at Gloucester Intermediate School–later Page Middle School. In 2004, they returned to Paul’s hometown of Hampton.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Kenneth Powell Collu, and a sister, Maurene Collums Norman.

She is survived by her husband, Paul; daughters, Amy E. Garber of Norfolk and Mary Garber Barker of Flagstaff, Az.; sister, Margaret Collums Sturdivant of Oxford, Miss.; grandchildren, Devon, Bryan and Daniel; one great-grandson, and a host of much beloved nieces and nephews.

A service of remembrance will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 at Hampton Baptist Church.

In Elizabeth’s memory, the family desires gifts be made to the building fund of Hampton Baptist Church, 40 Kings Way, Hampton, Va. 23669.

Arrangements by Hogg Funeral Home and Crematory, Gloucester Point.