Early Life and Family Background
Garrett Dirkmaat was born on Halloween as the fifth child in a large family with five brothers and one sister.
His father was an immigrant from the Netherlands, born during the German occupation of World War II. Hearing stories of wartime experiences deeply shaped Garrett’s early fascination with history.
Childhood Interests and Education
From a young age, Garrett showed a strong interest in history. Even during holidays like Halloween, he chose costumes representing historical figures. Board games such as Axis and Allies further strengthened his interest in military and world history.
Garrett’s family lived on a 40-acre farm in Idaho. Though his father worked as a nuclear engineer, the children handled the manual labor on the farm, including managing irrigation pipe and other tasks.
His mother, Renee Dirkmaat, was an English teacher whose emphasis on reading, writing, and clear communication greatly influenced Garrett’s academic development.
Missionary Service and Early Adulthood
Before attending college, Garrett served a mission in Wisconsin. The mission had very few Latter-day Saints, and the small congregations relied heavily on one another. Garrett observed the strength of these communities and gained formative leadership experience.
University Education
Garrett originally hoped to attend Brigham Young University but accepted a full academic scholarship from Utah State University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in history and met his future wife.
For graduate studies, Garrett attended the University of Colorado Boulder, which provided strong academic support and funding. He was one of very few Latter-day Saints in the program. His doctoral dissertation examined United States government interactions with the Latter-day Saints from the Church’s founding through the Utah territorial period.
Professional Career
After completing his Ph.D., Garrett joined the Joseph Smith Papers Project, contributing to documentary editing and historical research focused on early Church history.
Biography of Renee Dirkmaat
Garrett’s mother, Renee Dirkmaat, always valued education. She studied political science and English and became a teacher. During the 1960s, she was active in political organizations and participated in internships in Washington, D.C.
At BYU, she served as secretary of the College Democrats and once invited U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey to speak on campus.
Later, she returned to Idaho, where she taught school in Shelley. There she met Garrett’s father, a nuclear engineer. They married and raised their family in Idaho, where Garrett spent his childhood.