Jean Harding

Known as Mildred Jean, Jean, Sis and Millie, she was a cherished daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, cousin, and friend in her early years. Then she became a mom to seven children, her first arriving at the young age of 17, the last when she 29. At 41, she became a Mamaw and sometimes Grandma.

Jean loved life, was joyful, and remained optimistic despite the many hardships she faced in her life. Having parents who were sharecroppers that left at daylight for the fields, Mildred Jean stood on a wooden box and learned to tend the stove at the age of four. She watched over her baby brother Bobby during those years.

Those early chores prepared Jean for a life of service and the knowhow to do what had to be done, regardless of the circumstances. Always dedicated to the tasks before her, she learned to crochet, quilt and sew. Using a treadmill sewing machine, she made many clothes for her children and herself. Later she took delight in making dolls for her grandchildren. She made China dolls, crafting the bodies and then sewing elaborate dresses for them to earn extra money.

When she and Howard brought the first three of their children to the Harding homeplace at Clear Creek in Disputanta, she learned to milk a cow, providing sustenance to her beloved family. Little did she know that she was to become a farmer herself, raising as many as three gardens when it was needed. Money was hard to come by in the agrarian south of the 50's, 60's and 70's. She rose to the challenges required, helping to provide for her children. While Howard (a union carpenter) was away during the weekdays, she ran the farm with their five boys and two girls helping her in the fields and gardens and the girls helping in the kitchen and gardens. They raised fields of tobacco and corn for the cattle. One year she and Howard tried raising peanuts, another year cucumbers, another peppers. Yet another cane to make molasses. She raised seed beds for many types of plants. People who knew came from all over the county to buy her plants. When Howard decided to become a forester and built a sawmill, she and her children had to help run it. She worked at the edger, the most dangerous job besides his. Jean was in her element those decades, even taking care of Howard's Aunt Eller for the last years of her life. Those years required cooking and caring for ten. She was not one to complain.

Jean was a devout Christian, a Methodist and then a Southern Baptist for the last seven decades of her life. She attended Clear Creek Baptist and served as the bookkeeper for many years. Later, she left the farm and moved to town. With sadness, she moved her membership to Berea Baptist, but never forgot the friends and families at Clear Creek and tried to visit each year with them. Throughout her time with each of the churches she attended, Sunday School classes and the friendships she made were especially meaningful to her. The old-time gospel songs were her favorite to sing and hear. She read and studied her King James bible each morning. The first of January of many years would find her starting anew with the Old Testament and finishing with the New.

Jean taught her children to continue learning each day of their lives. She was an avid reader and became a published writer and artist, something she took great pride in. She was the family photographer, taking hundreds of pictures with a Kodak camera chronicling their lives. Best of all, she shared many, many photographs with friends and family. She helped to keep alive much of her Arvin and Blevins ancestors' memories, as well as the Harding and Dees families.

Jean was a beacon of faith, hope and love for those who knew her. She rose each day thanking the Lord for the blessings of life, her family and friends, most of all her savior Jesus Christ.

Jean was preceded in death by her beloved parents, William E. and Ella Margaret Arvin Blevins, her cherished husband, Howard William Harding, her dear son, Frank Harding, her treasured grandson, Stephen Douglas Harding, and her brother, Bob Blevins. Their reunion is a comforting thought to those she leaves behind.

She is survived by her children, Jeress Ann Harding, Floyd Lee (Brenda) Harding, Brent William (Bonnie) Harding, Alan (Sherry) Harding, Landis M. Harding, and Karen (John) Devere, as well as her sister Linda (Charlie) Gau. Her legacy continues to flourish through her 15 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way, and 11 great-great-grandchildren, each a reflection of her love and spirit.

Funeral services will be 2 pm, Saturday, September 6, 2025, at Berea Baptist Church with Pastor Kevin Slemp officiating. Burial will follow in Harding Family Cemetery. Visitation will be from 11 am to 2 pm at the church. Condolences for the family may be left at www.lakesfuneralhome.com