Jennifer Garner Receives State Honor at Home

SUNDAY DECEMBER 30, 2007 06:00 PM EST

Jennifer Garner may be the toast of Broadway for her Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac, and she may be the national critics' darling for her role as the wannabe mom in the new movie Juno, but to the folks at home, she's no slouch, either.

In fact, on Sunday she was named West Virginian of the Year.

"For her dedication, work ethic and unique role as role model and ambassador for West Virginia," the actress and mom receives the annual honor, heralds her hometown paper, Charleston's Sunday Gazette-Mail – which also proudly notes that Garner is the cover girl on this month's Glamour.

Though born in Houston and a resident (when not appearing on Broadway) of Los Angeles with husband Ben Affleck and their 2-year-old daughter Violet, Garner, 35, first moved to West Virginia at 4, in 1976, her mother, Pat Garner, tells the newspaper, adding: "She's pretty passionate about her love of West Virginia. She just considers it home."

According to younger sister Susannah Carpenter (one of three Garner siblings, and an accountant in Charleston), "Everyone in my family has a deep love of West Virginia."

In Jennifer's own words – she sent the paper an e-mail – the star says that when it comes to visiting home, "I like to do the things that are familiar. I like to see people I grew up with. I always go to Taylor Books. I love going home to my church – Christ Church United Methodist. I probably visit a Dairy Queen, and I love the farmer's market."