George Hardman Sr.

Ancestors

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Biography

George Dencil Hardman, son of John William and Bessie Maud Lowther Hardman, was born June 15 1906 ^[1] and died September 20 1972. He married Hazel "Juanita" Bowyer, daughter of Hugh Raymond and Catora Stout Bowyer, December 23 1927. ^[2]

Roy D Exline, my second cousin and son of my Great-Uncle Emory Bowyer. wrote me a letter in which he gave details of the meeting and courtship of my parents. Uncle Emory provided a place for his niece, the new school teacher, to live and Roy had a front row seat of the "goings-on". "Sometimes Geo. rode a horse, a sorrel and very pretty. He stabled the horse in a shed my Dad had built onto our chicken house. It had a wooden floor and was a comfortable place for it while the courting took place. He wore a blue sheep skin lined corduroy coat and he would always remove it and lay it on the extra bed." ^[3] In the picture of him as a young man he is wearing that coat. He loved to play baseball and we made many trips to Falls Mill on Sundays and to his homeplace on Fall Run where this writer now lives and was born. He attended the Fall Run UMC which was planted by his parents, grandparents, cousins and neighbors. It was my 'sending church' into clergy ministry and his hymnal is a treasure of mine. My mother requested that on the way from Weston to Burnsville for my father's burial, that we drive on US 19/4 by Fall Run and through Falls Mill as a final tribute to him. We were traveling on a main highway but when they passed by his homeplace and the Falls they slowed down.^[4]

He worked away from home in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and New York as a carpenter to support his family . In 1940 his work took him to Alexandria, VA and we moved there. During that time World War to broke out and my parents joined the Civil Defense. He was drafted in April of 1944 and we returned to West Virginia. However, he was not called to active duty until after his birthday in June and was passed the age limit. We returned to West Virginia and he went to Baltimore to work in the Navy shipyards in order to contribute to the war effort. In 1948 he went New York where he helped rebuild a mansion that had been brought over from England. My sister has a picture of the work crew in caricatures and I have a 78 rpm record he made and sent home as a letter to us.^[5]

He had no formal education beyond the eighth grade and was self taught along with some assistance from my 'school teacher' mother. The Lowther and Stout families participated in politics in their locations: England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia as did my father and mother. They both had the privilege of being invited to (and attending) the inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when we lived in Alexandria, VA. It was framed and hung on the wall with a picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F and Jackie Kennedy. All in possession of my oldest sister.^[6]

He was active in the local and statewide politics in Braxton County and West Virginia. He served on the Braxton County Commission 1955-1962 during the planning of I-79 Interstate and was the president during the last two years of his term. His political efforts "were rewarded with an appointment as the Maintenance Superintendent at the then Weston State Hospital in the early 1970's. His life's experience as a carpenter qualified him for this position. During his tenure he won an engineering award for redoing the antiquated heating system.^[7]

Unfortunately, political power changes and his position was challenged by the new governor. He was told that since he did not have a high school diploma or a GED certificate he would lose the position as a Maintenance Superintendent. With the fortitude and 'gumption' of his ancestors, he proceeded to get his GED and ranked as a Sophomore in college.^[8]

My father was a very family oriented person and had gathered information on his family and ancestors hoping to put it all together. That never got done but in 1993 my friends got me interested in family genealogy and my search began. As this writer enters seven branches of our family and ancestors on wikitree.com it is her final effort to fulfill that dream for him.

Sources

1. ↑ West Virginia Archives and History http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_bcdetail.aspx?Id=469343
2. ↑ West Virginia Archives and History http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_mcdetail.aspx?Id=10189430
3. ↑ Letter from Roy D Exline April 2004
4. ↑ Personal Observation
5. ↑ Personal Observation
6. ↑ Personal Observation
7. ↑ Personal Observation
8. ↑ Personal Observation