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A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held Saturday, November 15, 11:00 a.m., at Stine Road Baptist Church for Rufus "Jr." Harding who was a 50 year resident of Bakersfield.
He walked gently on this earth, hand in hand, with his loving wife of 56 years, Mary. Together, they sowed the seeds of family, tolerance, respect, humility, caring, love, spirituality, generosity, and humor among their countless friends and extensive family.
Jr.'s roots began on a farm in rural northwestern Oklahoma with his parents, Rufus Talbot and Iva, and his six siblings, Bud, Wilma, Bob, Gordon, Terry and Gregg. His love for horses, cattle, and other animals, as well as growing food for himself and others began there and followed him throughout his life. The seeds of his character are reflected in his family, particularly, his two beautiful daughters, Cheryl Hopkins and Rhonda Crosby, and their husbands, Byron and Steve.
Jr. left Oklahoma at 18 to join the Navy during WW II. He spent most of his Naval career in the Pacific Theater. After WW II, he settled in Santa Barbara where he met his beautiful future wife. Jr. and Mary farmed and ranched in Oklahoma and Kansas before moving to Bakersfield in 1953. Jr. was the foreman on the former Rivermere Angus Ranch on the Kern River. To Many of his friends and family, he will always be a cowboy and rancher who had horses, wore a cowboy hat, boots, and western wear and had the bronzed weathered look of an outdoor ranch hand gazing through wonderfully blue eyes at the horizon. He was also loved and respected as a devout Christian man who practiced the most meaningful tenets of his faith. He helped change the face of Bakersfield over five decades by helping to build three Southern Baptist Churches, Oil dale First Baptist, North Heights Southern Baptist, and Stine Road Baptist. He had another career building roads for the County of Kern, and retired after more than 20 years building roads and friendships.
His grandchildren and great grandchildren loved and respected him beyond measure. His grandchildren, Reed and Shea Lovan, and their wives, Anna and Diana, along with Katie and Megan Crosby, Perci, Nikki and Christopher Harding, and Christy Dehart and Byron Hopkins were the apples of his eye and his heart's delight. His great grandchildren knew O'pa was the greatest man on earth. Ashley, Lexie, Natalie, and Caitlyn were always delighted to visit O'pa, ride the pony, swim, pick fruit and vegetables, chase geese and chickens, and enjoy the overly abundant gifts of Christmas Eve. "Jr." was preceded in death by his parents, Rufus and Iva, his brother, Bud, and his grandson, Byron.
Rufus "Jr." Harding-Dad-Juju=Grandad-O'pa, we love you and will miss your infinite yet simple wisdom. God be with you . . .
Visitation begins today (Friday), November 14, 4-7 p.m., at Greenlawn Mortuary, 3700 River Blvd., Bakersfield.
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