Hubert Andrew Garner was born on November 30, 1900, in Durham County, North Carolina. Following World War I, Garner joined the Durham Machine Gun Company, a national guard unit, with the rank of private. In July 1920, he deployed with his company to Alamance County on orders from the governor to protect three wrongfully accused Black men from a lynch mob. Garner also served in the army in World War II. Professionally, he worked as a knitter for the Golden Belt Manufacturing Company. Garner died in Durham on July 10, 1974.