Bob Harding

Robert James Harding (also known as R J or Bob) was born in Haxtun June 8, 1929, to Robert Thomas and Mary Ruth (Josh) Harding. He died June 19, 2017, at the age of 88 at Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington.
    Bob attended country school at Buffalo Grass until his dad needed help on the farm, and he had to quit school to help out. He helped his dad on the farm until he was drafted into the Army. In later years, he did get his GED.
    PFC Robert J. Harding was inducted into the United States Army March 1, 1951. He was transferred to the Army Reserve March 1, 1953, and was honorably discharged from the Army Oct. 20, 1956.
    On June 5, 1952, Bob married Nellie Hughes in Colorado Springs. Bob and Nellie were blessed with nearly 61 years of marriage and four children: Linda, Glenda, Sandra and Robert Dale. Bob and Nellie made their first home in Manitou Springs, near Fort Carson.
     After leaving Colorado Springs in 1953, Bob tried his hand at farming and rented a piece of ground 3 or 4 miles from his parents’ home in Yuma County. The next move was to a farm northeast of Eckley that was rented from Charles Shively. In 1959, he went to work for the J.C. Ricker Farm and lived in the little house on his place.
    In 1963, he moved to a place 5 miles southwest of his parents when he went to work for Gene Warner. In 1966, he went back to work for Ricker Farms and moved to a place north of Holyoke. He worked at the sugar beet factory in Ovid for a short period.
    In 1972, they moved to Holyoke and Bob continued to work for the Ricker Farms until 1979 when he took a job as a yard and maintenance man for Holyoke High School. A year later, he started with the City of Holyoke as a police officer.
    In 1981, he was transferred to the City of Holyoke’s parks department where he worked for 20 years and retired in 2001 at the age of 72. He loved his job with the parks department and would even get up in the middle of the night to check on the sprinklers. Bob was always a very conscientious worker and always went the extra mile to make sure he got the job done right.
    After Bob retired, he continued to work hard. His pride and joy was his yard and garden. Bob always worked hard to take good care of his family and always exhibited a strong belief in God.
    He provided many vegetables for the family dining room table. He also helped Nellie can and freeze a lot of the vegetables, as well as make jelly to be eaten all year long. Bob even took some of his vegetables to the Haxtun Corn Festival and brought home many ribbons.
    He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene for many years and was very active in the church.
    In Nellie’s later years, Bob did a lot to help out. He was her grocery shopper, the bill payer, the house cleaner. He helped with the laundry, ran her to the doctor and was right by her side until the end of her life. Bob’s true love and dedication of being a husband to Nellie was truly shown.
    Bob took a bad spill and broke his neck shortly before Nellie passed away. At this point he could not be alone, so he moved to Burlington with LaVoine and Glenda. He spent some time with Juan and Sandra on a couple of different occasions in Grand Island, Nebraska.
    Mostly he lived with LaVoine and Glenda for a year and then he moved into the Legacy assisted living facility until he fell again. He then needed therapy, so he moved to Grace Manor nursing home, where he spent the rest of his life.
    Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Nellie (Hughes) Harding; his parents, Robert and Mary Harding; two brothers, Donald Harding and Harold Harding; two sisters, Evelyn Forbes and Katherine Hinde; and just recently his brother-in-law, John Stoner.
    Bob is survived by his children, Linda Daggett and husband Bob of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Glenda Smith and husband LaVoine of Burlington, Sandra Bazan and husband Juan of Venango, Nebraska, and Robert Dale Harding and wife Naomi of Wray; sister-in-law, Laura Harding; brother, Carroll Harding and wife Ardyce of Mebane, North Carolina; sister, Joyce Stoner of Antelope, California; brother, Larry Harding and wife Mary of Fort Morgan; brother, Vernon Harding and wife Marion of Yuma; grandchildren, Kirk Tyndal of Kansas City, Missouri, Dana Pickings and husband Kevin of Camden, Arkansas, Anita Perez and husband Ignacio of Venango, Richard Bazan and wife Andrea of Laramie, Wyoming, Gabriel Bazan and wife Emily of Ogallala, Nebraska, Juan Bazan Jr. and wife Bekah of Grand Island, Julie Russell of Venango, Shamariah Harding of Holyoke and Nathanael Harding of Wray; and great-grandchildren, Tiesha Pickings of Camden,Valerie Perez, Anselmo Perez and Sophia Perez of Venango, Owen Bazan and Cora Bazan of Laramie, Dylan Bazan and Tyson Bazan of Ogallala, Nelli Bazan of Grand Island and Judah Harding of Holyoke.
    The funeral service was held June 24 at the Assembly of God Church in Holyoke. Interment followed at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Yuma.
    Baucke Funeral Home of Holyoke directed the service.