Mildred Bothwell Hardy

Services for Mildred Bothwell Hardy, 97, of Rusk, were held at 2 p.m., Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, in the Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. James Blaylock officiating. Burial will be at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Maydelle under the direction of Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home of Rusk.

Mrs. Hardy died January 12, 2007, at Lexington Place Nursing Home in Rusk. She was born July 17, 1909, in Rusk to the late R.E. and Maude Sherman Bothwell. She was the fourth of ten children. The family moved to Maydelle when she was four. She graduated from Maydelle School in 1925, attended Rusk College, received a Teachers Certificate and began her teaching career in Bowie County at age 18, later attending Sam Houston State Teachers College. She received her Bachelors and Masters Degrees and did advanced studies at the University of Houston. She also taught at schools in Anderson, Cherokee, Harris, and Houston Counties. She taught at all levels, acting as principal and supervisor of schools in the east and Mount Houston District. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Rusk. She was involved in church and civic activities. She was an avid history buff and took great pride in her bible studies. She read the entire bible many times and read the 23 Psalms daily. She taught Sunday school and continued to teach bible study while a resident at Oak Park/Lexington Place Care Center.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Dallas Hardy in 1961, her parents, grandchildren, Kathy and David Mann; two sisters, Nola George and Imogene Lusk; three brothers, Eldon Bothwell, Sherril Bothwell, and baby brother.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Kenneth Mann of Rusk; four sisters, Bessie Burke of College Station; Marcelite Watson of Rusk, Marguerite Johnston of Jacksonville; and Pauline Perry of Rusk; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will include Dicky Bowman, Eldon Earl Watson, Jimmy Watson, Don Parsons, Adan Meza and JoEd Anderson. Honorary pallbearers will be John Bowman, Billy Watson, Marshall Ray George, Billy James Hardy, Dr. Everett Martin, Donny Hardy and Reverends Lee Welch, Chuck Johnston, Charles Haley and W.F. Sides.

Family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, at the funeral home.

Information from the Jacksonville Daily Progress.