Albert L. Hardon, beloved father, and friend to many passed away on Monday, March 21, 2022, at age 92.
Albert Lee Hardon was born in a raging blizzard on November 11, 1929, to
Albert E. Hardon and Rosa (Bliss) Hardon. They had called Dr. Lanager,
but he fell off old highway 36 in the blizzard and broke an arm so was
rescued and taken back to Atwood. A neighbor Bernice Anderson assisted
Rosa in the birth. Albert grew up on the farm and attended grade school
at the Hillside School District 94 two miles away on the Beaver valley,
walking, riding a pony or bicycle. Albert started high school in 1943
but left school six weeks later after his father was kicked by a horse
he was shoeing for a neighbor, was hospitalized for six months and was
unable to work after that. There was much work to be done, as wheat had
to be planted as well as putting up cane hay for winter feed for all the
cattle and horses. Back then all the work was done with scoop shovels
and pitch forks. Wheat had to be scooped from the bins and hauled to
town that winter.
Albert was drafted into the Army on August 12, 1951, and took basic
training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. In March 1952, he was shipped to
Korea and assigned to A Company of the 79th Engineer Construction
Battalion where he helped build a concrete arch ring bridge 70-feet
above the Han Tan River across the river gorge. The Company later was
sent to Yon Che Do Island 90 miles off the southern tip of Korea where
they built barbed wire compounds for 10,000 North Korean POW’s. When
finished, A Company was moved to the Yong Son area south of Nam Sung
Mountain from Seoul the Capital of Korea. This was a large area that had
been a Military Academy when Japan occupied Korea. The brick buildings
had been bombed and shelled, so Company A was assigned to repair the
buildings for 8th Army Headquarters. Albert was promoted to Platoon SGT
Construction Foreman for fifty G.I.s and numerous Korean skilled
laborers building new buildings and repairing old brick buildings.
Albert learned to speak and write the Korean language so got along well
with and made many great friends among the Korean workers. The day
Albert left; forty Koreans lined up to bid him goodbye. Albert walked
the line and said goodbye to his many friends. Albert left Korea after
thirteen months and landed in Seattle the day the truce was signed
ending the Korean War.
He enlisted in the active Reserves and spent 38 years with the Army
serving 7 years as First Sergeant of the 1013th Field Service
Quartermaster Battalion in North Platte NE. Albert served in many fields
all these years. He was in the Field Artillery, Engineers, Infantry,
Heavy Mortar Company, Transportation Company, and Quartermaster
Battalion. He has been a member of the American Legion since he returned
from Korea in 1953 and a lifelong member of the VFW.
He married Joaquina Lopez in Roswell, New Mexico in June 1967. They
enjoyed fifty-four years working together. They had three children,
Gloria (Kyle) Warning, Amber (Mick Ranney) and Carlos, three
grandchildren, Melanie Seegers, Michelle Hosman, and Justin Warning and
seven great-grandchildren.
Albert farmed and raised cattle with his brother Owen. He worked as an
assessor assessing livestock, machinery, and personal property for 32
years at the courthouse in Jan. and Feb. each year. Albert built several
buildings on the farmstead and built furniture in the winter after
feeding cattle using over 12,000 board feet of white oak, cedar, pine,
and black walnut lumber. He made gun cabinets, tables, chests, kitchen
cabinets, bed headboards and over 300 wooden bowls which he gave to
friends and family and sold in various locations. He obtained the old
family loom and made hundreds of rag rugs which he sold but gave most
away to family and friends. He collected barbed wire and had over 1100
different wires. Albert liked to help others and helped people with
their start in business or farming. He wrote four books, one on his
experience in Korea and three books on the Dust Bowl days and the
history of this local area. He also drew numerous pen and ink drawings,
which he made into notecards for friends, family and for retail.
He was preceded in death by his wife Joaquina; parents Albert E. and
Rosa Hardon; sister-in-law Dorothy Hardon and son-in-law Kyle Warning.
He is survived by his brother Owen; his three children; three
grandchildren, Melanie (Mike) Seegers, Michelle Hosman and Justin
(Tiffany) Warning; great grandchildren McKenna and Luke Hosman, Bailey
and Austin Seegers, Lindsay (Isaac) Hueftle and Wyatt and Jordyn
Warning; nephews Gary (Sue) Harden and Glen (Peggy) Harden;
sister-in-law Anita (Martin Hernandez) Maner; brother-in-law Manuel
(Rose) Lopez; many nieces and nephews as well as many old friends.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, March 24, 2022,
at Baalmann Mortuary, Atwood, with burial in Fairview Cemetery, Atwood.
Albert loved history and keeping it alive, so in lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to the Rawlins County Historical Society or the
Tri-State Antique Engine and Thresher Assn. in Bird City, KS and sent in
care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information
or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com