Written by Harold D. Garbett, son of Robert M. and
Charlotte Hamson Garbett, and grandson of Samuel George Garbett.
The family of Samuel George Garbett was the first Garbett family to establish a residence in Pocatello, Idaho. They moved to Pocatello from Salt Lake City in 1899. Samuel son of George Robert Garbett and Mary Ann Whittingham Garbett was born in West Bromwik, England, May 7, 1861. He married Elizabeth Mitchell September 11, 1885 in Logan, Cache, Utah and they had two children, Robert Mitchell ???d Samuel ???heir mother, Elizabeth died March 25, 1888 at the age of 21 when their oldest son Bob was 16 months old and Sam was just 25 days old. On Nov. 4, 1891 Samuel later married Beatrice Swift in Logan, Utah. They were the parents of eleven children, 5 boys and 6 girls: Marie (Mrs. Laurence Earl Talbot), George A., married Leora A. Barrett, Alma Dean ?ttie??illian (Mrs. Robert O?livan), Wilford W., Edwin Daniel, Alice (Mrs. Clark Cameron), Margaret ?guerite??rs. Harold Gray), cecil Harold ???nona (Mrs.Raymond Smith), and Elaine Genevieve ?e??rs. Don Akins). Beatrice Swift Garbett died in Pocatello Feb 16, 1914 at the age of 43.
Samuel served 2 LDS church missions, one to Birmingham, England and the other to the NE Western States Mission in Denver, Colorado. He became a citizen of the USA on October 1, 1892 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was an electrician by trade working for some time with the Union Pacific Railroad in Salt Lake City and Pocatello. In the early 1900?e served as Court Bailiff and later owned a partnership in the Independent Electric Co. contracting electricians, at 2652 S. Main, in Pocatello. Soon after, he purchased the business and moved to 113 N. Main as the Garbett Electric Shop. His son George, as a young man, worked as an electrician in the business. June 21, 1920 he was appointed State of Idaho water Master. Earlier, in the years prior to 1916 he was a member of the Pocatello City Council. While serving as a Alderman, he championed long range planning and the development of a strong and viable water system for the city. He was an active member of the LDS Church, serving in several leadership capacities including the Pocatello Stake High Council and two Bishoprics. He was preceded in death by his second wife, in 1914 and his son, Wilford W. who died October 15, 1919.
It was reported in the June 17, 1913 Edition of the Pocatello Tribune that ?ing yesterday?lectrical storm in Pocatello, a bolt of lightning struck the old home of court Bailiff, Sam G. Garbett at 955 North Tenth Avenue and narrowly missed dealing instant death to a man occupying the front room. The bold hit the door plate in front of the house, passed through the wooden door, ripped most of the paper off the wall in the front room and disappeared into the ground outside, leaving a gaping hole. The man was sleeping within four feet of the door.??t;br> Samuel George Garbett was killed while in the performance of his duty as a city of Pocatello Detective on the afternoon of July 23, 1924. The Gun Battle in Pocatello resulted in the death of Detective Garbett, the serious wounding of Chief of Police L.A. ?ch??hrbas and the killing by Lehrbas of gunman George Rivea, a native of Puerto Rico, who was a newcomer living in Pocatello. The gun battle took place on E. Wyeth St between 4th and 4th Avenues. At the coroner?nquest, two witnesses said they saw Rivea running east carrying a revolver in his hand immediately prior to the shooting. They saw Chief Lehrbas drive up to the curbing and then Detective Garbet called to Rivea to drop his gun. Rivea made some remark and whirled around and started shooting. His first shot, it is reported, struck Garbett who had opened the car door preparatory to stepping out. The bullet entered his head a little below the right eye severing his spinal cord at the bas of the skull causing instant death. Chief Lehrbas was struck in the jaw and body by the next bullets from Rivea?evolver. Although seriously wounded Chief Lehrbas then shot at Rivea three times with the 2nd and 3rd shots striking and killing the gunman. As reported in the July 24th Edition of the Pocatello Tribune ?tective Garbett served approximately ten years as a peace officer. His kindness to those in trouble won for him innumerable friends. He was a very capable officer and while lenient to unfortunates in many respects never failed to perform his duty when called upon.??t;br> Chief Lehrbas and Detective Garbett were responding to a telephone call from a woman on N.5th who said Rivea was threatening the lives of her and others in the neighborhood with a gun.
Seven of Samuel Garbett?hildren were living at home at the time of his untimely and tragic death. Needless to say these seven youngest children were forced to make monumental adjustments. However, all the children in the family established that their number one priority was to keep the children together at the family home at 355 N. 7th Ave. The five married children, Bob, Sam, Marie, George, and Lillian all made personal and financial contributions and generally looked after the welfare of the family until each could make a living by themselves and were to marry and establish a home of their own. Bob, Sam, George, and Alice remained in Pocatello, the other children when established with jobs or marriage moved to California, Utah, and Washington.