Inside Jennifer Garner’s $700 Farm Bought to Save Her Parents’ Legacy – Photos

When Jennifer Garner bought her family farm in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, it was to keep her family’s legacy alive, but now it will continue to be a place where her father’s memory will continue to live. The actress sadly announced that her father died on Saturday.

Actress Jennifer Garner is very fond of posting her throwback pictures on Instagram. The actress enjoys sharing different moments from her childhood to remind herself of her humble beginnings and provide a moment to learn and express gratitude.

For instance, Jennifer posted a school picture of herself at six. The Hollywood star joked about taking violin classes for six years without getting any better at it. She joked that her mother even offered to pay her to stop playing the violin.

However, Jennifer used this funny detail about herself to bring awareness to the importance of education, especially for younger girls. Despite her failed attempt at learning the violin, Garner expressed how thankful she is for having the opportunity to receive such an education. The actress grew up as the middle child of two sisters who shared a close connection.

Jennifer is proud and honored to have experienced such a beautiful childhood. On the contrary, her mother, Patricia Ann Garner, faced poverty growing up. The actress opened up about her mother’s complicated life in “Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan.” She said her mom was so poor she could not even imagine how she managed to allow herself to leave the farm she lived on in Locust Grover, Oklahoma.

Jennifer understood the sensitivity of sharing the state of Patricia’s upbringing on such a big platform; therefore, she clarified that she first asked her mother if she was comfortable with the world knowing about her life. But Patricia did not mind; in fact, the actress quoted her response and said:

“She said, ‘I’m never ashamed of growing up poor. Rather, I am amazed by the grace and dignity that my parents had throughout my childhood,'”

In an exclusive interview with Southern Living, Jennifer Garner’s mother shared the history behind the Oklahoma farm that Jennifer now owns. The farm was first purchased by Patricia’s parents, Harvey Newton English and Violet Margaret Sayre English.

Patrica’s parents purchased the farm in 1936 during the Great Depression. Harvey worked as a laborer and was a veteran of World War I. As a reward for his service in the war, he received a bonus which he and Violet knew they wanted to invest into a home.

Jennifer’s grandparents only had $700, for which they had to negotiate long and hard for. Patricia said her mother remembered Harvey “leaning on his heels” all day to negotiate over twenty dollars before they could settle on a price. Jennifer’s grandparents took a leap of faith to purchase that land; according to Patricia, her parents did not even have a car to take them to the farm so they had to hire someone to drive to the property.

Besides the 20 acres of land, where the two-bedroom house was situated, the farmhouse did not have much. Patricia said they did not have indoor plumbing or running water for as long as she lived there. The electricity was only installed nine years later, in 1945.

On the upside, Patrica has fond memories of her father’s garden. The land was rich, so they always had fresh seasonal vegetables. Jennifer’s mother remembered the first vegetables they harvested were radishes, leaf lettuces, English peas, and new potatoes.

The farm was also large enough to house chickens, cows, and pigs, where the family got most of their meat. In the spring of 1962, Jennifer’s grandfather died, and her grandmother sold the farm to Patricia’s older James and his wife, Helen.

When James and Helen bought the farm, Jennifer’s grandparents had bought an adjoining 30 acres of land where they built a barn; however, later, Patricia’s brother James decided to sell the farm to Robert and his wife, Janet.

After the Oklahoma farm had made rounds in Patricia’s family, Jennifer decided to be the owner and purchased the farm in 2017. The actress bought the farm to preserve her mother’s memories but also to live there and continue taking care of the land. Garner plans to give her mother’s childhood home a new life.

Patricia might have witnessed her parents go through the ups and downs of life together until death, but Jennifer also got to watch her parents get to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary. Her father, Billy was a hard hardworking man who started working at 11 after his father died unexpectedly in a car accident.

In a birthday post to her father, Jennifer expressed her appreciation for her father’s resilience, writing, “At 11 years old my dad became a man of the house- working a paper route, setting up pins at the bowling alley, helping his mother take care of things at home.”

Jennifer was grateful for the love that her father had given her and her siblings, so one can only imagine how it felt when the “30 Going on 13” star announced his passing. The actress revealed that her father died peacefully on Saturday, with his family singing Amazing Grace.

Her father died at 85, but while Jennifer knew there was no tragedy in her father passing at that age, she also understood that grief knows no age. However, instead of being sad about losing a parent, she decided to take the moment to express her gratitude.

Jennifer started off by saying, “We are grateful for Dad’s gentle demeanor and quiet strength. For how he teased with a mischievous smile, and for the way he invented the role of all-in, ever-patient girl dad. We are grateful for his work ethic, leadership, and faith.” She then thanked all the medical staff who helped her father during his last days.

Regardless of the pain and loss, Jennifer wants to hold on to the fond memories she has with her father, and is grateful to have countless moments she can look back on and hold on to through time. One of the last memories they had together was Jennifer’s early birthday gift to her father. She decided to have him ride in his childhood car, a 1948 Studebaker Champion.

The well-being of children is Jennifer Garner’s passion. She is a mother of three children Violet, 16; Seraphina, 13; and Samuel, 10. The actress had the bright idea of turning the Oklahoma farm into a business producing organic food for babies and big children.

Jennifer’s business, “Once Upon a Farm,” is not only focused on kids’ nutrition but also strives to make healthy eating accessible and passed down through generations. The “Once Upon a Farm” business idea has become a success. The company has partnered with the non-profit organization Save the Children, which focuses on providing healthy food, education, and a safe environment for kids around the United States.

Jennifer’s dream of producing healthy kids’ food was to make sure parents are never stressed about their children not getting enough nutrients has come true. The actress has created a company that offers parents an excellent work-life balance, creating a happy environment for co-workers.

Jennifer is genuinely invested in her family farm. The actress spends a lot of time there and includes her grandmother’s recipes in the blends she creates for her company and shares the family recipes with her Instagram followers.

Jennifer shared a picture of her parents in honor of Grandparent Day to express her gratitude for all they have done for her. The actress also took the time to shout out her grandparents, Harvey and Violet.