Mary Allen

Notes:

Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA) - Friday, November 2, 2012

Deceased Name: Mary Allen Hardison

CA United States
Sept. 1, 1910 - Oct. 28, 2012 Mary Allen Hardison returned to her Heavenly Father at age 102 on Sunday Oct. 28. A lifelong member of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter day Saints, she had lived a purposely simple life of family, faith and service. She lived by the motto "you are only as old as you wish to be", which she proved when setting a World Record as the oldest female to go tandem paragliding on her 101st birthday. She was born in Mesa, Arizona, Sept. 1, 1910, the seventh of 12 children, to John Seymour and Barbara Phelps Allen, and was preceded in death by her parents, and all of her siblings. She married Waldo Collins Hardison in 1936 and they were blessed with two sons. The small family moved to Vallejo in 1942, when Waldo, because of his experience with copper tubing, was requested to come to work at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She was preceded in death by her husband (1979) and one grandson, Michael (1959). She is survived by her two sons, Waldo Allen Hardison (Bonnie Baker) and Marion Walker Hardison (Andrea Nesbit); 12 living grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great- grandchildren. Mary graduated from Arizona State Teacher's College in Flagstaff Arizona in 1932 and took her first teaching position that same year at the Keams Canyon Navajo Indian Center. Her teaching career continued 39 years, teaching in Mesa and Cherry, Arizona before moving to Vallejo. She worked for almost 30 years as a teacher in the Vallejo School District retiring in 1971. She was presented with an honorary life membership in the California Congress of Parents and Teacher, Inc., the highest honor that can be given to an individual for outstanding service to children and youth by the PTA. She served in her church in many positions, but her 19 years serving the youth gave her the greatest joy. Besides being a loving mother, grandmother, great and great great grandmother and a dear friend, she will be remembered best for her years of service. She was taught to make quilts at an early age and began to do so in earnest after retiring from teaching in 1971. She made and gave away over 1200 quilts with 31 of the ones she made this year going to an orphanage in Africa. What wasn't given to charity was given to someone to let them know that they were loved. It was special to be given a Mary Hardison quilt, as they became known. A family memorial service was held In Bountiful, Utah and another will be held in Mesa, Arizona, when she is laid to rest alongside her husband in early November.

Buried:
Burial:
City of Mesa Cemetery
Mesa
Maricopa County
Arizona, USA
Plot: 885, Lot 1
Find A Grave Memorial# 118129015

Mary married Waldo Collins Hardison 10 Feb 1936, Florence, Pinal, Arizona, United States. Waldo was born 31 Dec 1898, Santa Paula, Ventura, California; died 28 Mar 1979, Vallejo, Solano, California, United States. [Group Sheet]