Josie Hardwick, age 86, of Meridian died Thursday afternoon, Jan 19, 1989, in an Arlington hospital after a brief illness. Services were held Saturday afternoon, Jan. 21, at 1:30 pm in the Faith Lutheran Church in Meridian, with Rev. Allen Johannes and Rev. John Homerstad officiating. Burial was in the Meridian Cemetery, with Lawson Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.
Josie Marie Reesing, daughter of the late Oscar B. Reesing and Emma Huse Reesing, was born Dec. 21, 1902, in the Harmony Community, west of Clifton. She was the 4th of 11 children. At the age of 10, she moved with her parents to the Cooper Communtiy, north of Clifton. After attending the Cooper Rural School, she graduated from Clifton Lutheran Academy, and then Clifton Junior College.
On Aug. 6, 1924, she was united in marriage to Alfred Hardwick at Meridian. The couple made their home near Meridian, except for 7 years in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when they lived in the Texas panhandle, near Gruver. They enjoyed farming and ranching near Meridian after their return. Mr. Hardwick served the citizens of Bosque County for several years, first as county clerk and then as county judge. Mrs. Hardwick served the county as district clerk for 2 terms, retiring in Dec 31, 1970. Her husband preceded her in death on Nov. 7, 1963. She continued to live on the farm unitl Dec of 1978, when she moved to Meridian. She moved to Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home in 1985, and then to Arlington a year ago to be near her son. Mrs. Hardwick was a member of the Faith Lutheran Church of Meridian. Survivors include a son, Olin A. Hardwick, Jr. of Arlington; 2 grandchildren: Kelly Hardwick and Scott Hardwick, both of Jefferson, NY; 3 step- grandchildren: Mark Foster of Dallas, Lourie Foster of Lubbock, and Heather Foster of Arlington’ a sister, Mrs. R.W. (Eunice) Cooksey of granbury; 5 brothers: John Reesing of Ft. Worth, Walter Reesing of Waco, and Pete Reesing, Albert Reesing, and Raymond Reesing, all of Clifton; and other relatives. She was preceded in death by a sister, Inga Bronstad, adn 3 borthers, Jim Reesing, Oliver Reesing, and Leroy Reesing. Pallbearers were Odin Bronstad, Jerry Reesing, Curtis Hardwick, N.L. Schlegel, Bobby Reesing, and Mike Reesing.