Denzil “Denny” Garrison and Barbara Lee Hopper married in 1954; since then, the Garrisons have called Bartlesville home. Denny followed a distinguished family tradition of military service by enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1944. He would return to active duty in 1950 as a commander of the “B” Battery of the 171st Field Artillery Battalion in the Korean War. He remained active in the Reserve Corps until his retirement in 1966 with the rank of Major.
Denny’s public service would continue throughout his life, first as the County Attorney of Washington County then as an Oklahoma State Representative and an Oklahoma State Senator. He served a total of sixteen years in the Oklahoma Legislature and filled the role of Minority Leader in both houses during his tenure. He served as Governor David Boren’s Chief Legislative Aid from 1976-78.Both Denny and Barbara have a great love of history and have been instrumental in the growth and development of the Washington County Historical Society and Bartlesville Area History Museum. Barbara has served as trustee of the Bartlesville Area History Museum Trust Authority, and Denny had two terms as President of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Their interest in history has also led them to author several books. Denny wrote about his Korean War experience in Remembrances of a Redleg: The story of a Korean War Artilleryman of the 45th Thunderbird Division, and Honor Restored: A True Story of a Vietnam Courts Martial, chronicling his successful defense of an Oklahoma Marine during the Vietnam War. Denny received awards and commendations from the Oklahoma Bar Association, Disabled American Veterans, and the Oklahoma State Senate for his work on the case. Barbara recently co-authored, with Vicki Stewart and Debbie Neece, If Bartlesville Walls Could Talk, documenting the stories of the famous homes and architecture in the community.