Mable J Harding

Mable J. Harding, age 90, Clark, formerly of Garden City, widow of Merle Harding, died in the Golden Living Center at Clark on Saturday morning, July 18, 2009. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 1PM in the Garden City United Methodist Church at Garden City with the Reverend Warren Rhodes officiating. Casketbearers will be her grandsons, Troy & Todd Schaffer and Justin & Jeremy Bowers. Honorary casketbearers will be her friends and the Staff of Golden Living Center at Clark. Burial will follow in the Garden City Cemetery. Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller as organist and Wendy Christman as soloist. Visitation time will be private for the family at her request. She was born on January 4, 1919 at Garden City, the daughter of Carl Iver and Nettie Goldie (Johnson) Erickson. She attended school in Garden City and graduated from Garden City High School. Following her schooling she worked in the Garden City area. On July 25, 1942 she was united in marriage to Merle W. Harding at Watertown. The couple lived and farmed near Garden City their entire married life. He died on May 7, 1991. In recent years she moved to Clark to live with her daughter Joan. She was a devoted farm wife and mother, being very proud of her children and grandchildren. She loved to keep up with their activities. Mable loved reading, especially books relating to travel and was always interested in visiting with others and hearing about their activities. She will long be remembered for her willingness to always prepare a meal or snack for everyone who visited no one left hungry! She was a longtime member of the Garden City United Methodist Church. Survivors include daughters, Joan Alice Harding of Clark, Jean Marie (Bud) Schaffer of Aberdeen and Diane Beth Bowers of Doland, 6 grandchildren grandsons, Troy (Joleen) Schaffer and Todd (Crystal) Schaffer all of Aberdeen, Justin and Jeremy Bowers of Clark, granddaughters Amber Schaffer of Aberdeen and Heather Bowers of Merrillville, IN, 4 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren, a sister-in-law, Luena Hendrickson and brother-in-law, Robert (Carolyn) Harding all of Clark and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Merle, a son in infancy, Eugene Dale, a sister, Alice Lantz and a brothers-in-law, Glen Harding, Karrol Hendrickson and a sister-in-law, Joyce Harding. Please sign the on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family.