Mina Beatrice “Bea” Hardin, 97, daughter of Henry and Minnie (Corbin) Ragsdale, was born February 18, 1911 in Bado, Mo. She died November 2, 2008 at Kabul Nursing Home in Cabool, Mo.
Bea was reared in Bado and went to elementary school at Murr School, a one-room school. She attended her first three years of high school at Gravel Point High School, finishing her senior year, and graduating from Mountain Grove High School, Mountain Grove, Mo. She graduated from Southwest Missouri State College with a BS in Elementary Education. She taught her first year of school at Stubbs School. She then went to Dunsmore, later teaching at Brushy Knob, Fowler, Indian Creek and Raymondville. These were one-room schools with grades 1st through 8th. She completed her teaching career at Houston Schools where she retired in 1976 after a total of 32 years.
Bea was a member of the Houston United Methodist Church, Beta Sigma Phi, The Missouri State Teachers Association and The Missouri Retired Teachers Association.
When Bea Ragsdale met Linville Hardin she knew he was the one for her. School regulations at the time did not allow female teachers to be married. Bea and Linville decided to elope, so on December 17, 1932, in Springfield, Mo, she married Linville Cleve Hardin. Although they were not successful in keeping their marriage a secret, the school regulation was changed and Bea was allowed to keep her teaching position. Together, they shared 72 years as husband and wife, as much in love in 2005 as they were on that December day in 1932.
Linville preceded her in death April 17, 2005. She was also preceded by her parents Henry and Minnie; two sisters, Eloise Dansby and Leona Cantrell; and two brothers, Ray and Warren Ragsdale.
Bea is survived by one son, Kelbin Hardin and his wife Elaine, of Kearney, Mo.; a daughter, Katricia Barreda and her husband Michael of Willow Springs, Mo.; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; six sisters, Bessie Gordan, Dorothy Harvey, Dixie Baty, Florence McGowan, Maxine Baty and Fern Fitzhugh; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Thursday Nov. 6 from 6-8 p.m. in the Evans Funeral Home. Family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Texas County Hospice of Care or the United Methodist Church of Houston, Mo. Online condolences may be sent to www.evansfh.com
Services will be Friday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. in the United Methodist Church, Houston, Mo. Pastor Tom Tomlinson will officiate with burial in the Pine Lawn Cemetery.
PAID