Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Garrett Proctor Sr. (1929-2007) was recognized during Black History Month by the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners in a Proclamation detailing his historic role in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO).
Born in Monticello's Ashville community, Proctor was a lifelong resident of Jefferson County. He served his country as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War era. Proctor raised cattle and was an accomplished local farmer whose advice often was sought by other area farmers.
On Oct. 1, 1965, Proctor became Jefferson County's first African American deputy sheriff, when he was hired by Sheriff J. B. Thomas. Proctor served with the JCSO for 30 years, across the tenures of seven sheriffs. He worked through the ranks to become a lieutenant in 1984, serving as the leader of the Sheriff's Road Patrol. He retired as a captain on Sept. 30, 1994.
In addition to serving his community as a deputy, Proctor was active in the Old Greenville AME Church and the Ashville Masonic Lodge No. 229.
Proctor and his wife, Louise Gallon Proctor, had five children, including Gwen P. Banks, Valerie Proctor, David Proctor, Garrett Proctor, Jr. and Daniel A. Proctor, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Daniel Proctor attended the commissioners' presentation of the Proclamation and received it on behalf of his father.
“I'm proud that they thought enough to honor him,” Daniel said in an interview on March 16. “I know he loved his job. He gave 30 years of his life to the county. The family is very appreciative.”
Daniel remembers his dad as a private person who would do his job as a deputy and then come home to tend his cattle and crops at the family's Ashville Highway farmstead. When Daniel came home from school, he would pick up where his dad had left off planting tobacco or corn.
“Raising cattle was his heartstring when he retired,” he says. Today, the family farm still has a herd of cattle that Daniel manages, along with a second herd on nearby Salt Road.
Proctor's daughter Gwen Banks recently moved back to the family farm to care for her mother, Louise Gallon Proctor, now in her nineties.
“He took being a deputy very seriously,” Gwen recalls of her father. “He took pride in what he did, and people had confidence that he would get the job done.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.