Vera Onieta Harding ("Sugar Plum", "GiGi") was born on March 24, 1922 in Paris, Texas to William & Ruth Carpenter and passed away on June 8, 2016. She was the eighth daughter of 10 girls & one boy. She was raised by devout Christian parents in Paris, TX. She spent her childhood years there & graduated from Paris High School. She met & married the love of her life, Charles F. Harding, Sr. when she was 19 years old in Dallas, TX. He preceded her in death in 2011 after almost 70 years of marriage. He called her his "Sugar Plum" or "SP". First of all, she was our "prayer warrior". Any needs you had, she would pray for you, and you could count on it! She loved our Lord with all her heart & soul. She would always say that no matter what happened in this life "The Lord will never put on us more than we can handle & that He will take care of us." Next, she was an extremely loving and dedicated wife. She took care of "her man, her sweetie" in every way! During the last 2 1/2 years of Charles' life, he was stricken by a stroke and could not walk. Not one day went by that she didn't make sure he was up, fed, hair combed & loved in every way. She often said she was ready to go to Heaven because Dad wanted her there with him. Thirdly, she was a super Mom. She nurtured, adored, bragged, took extreme pride in her three children. We loved coming home from school to her homemade banana pudding or ice box lemon pie. And we loved reminding her often that she was "sweet as pie"! She is survived by son Charles F. Harding, Jr. ("Chuck") & wife Margo, daughter Kathy Crutcher & husband Mike, son Rick Harding & wife Renee'. She also leaves a legacy of 8 grandchildren & 19 great grandchildren. Also survived by sister Betty Dill & brother Bill Carpenter & wife Joann, along with many nieces & nephews. Even though she attended school at Draughns Business School in downtown Dallas, her main goal & accomplishments were being a wife, mother, grandmother & great grandmother. She loved taking care of her family. If you were one of the lucky ones here on earth that she loved, you knew she loved you without any doubt or question...she always ended the conversation by telling you how much she loved you. Her memories & life's lessons will be remembered for generations to come & her strong faith in our Lord will be most noteworthy. Our special thanks to Autumn Leaves/White Rock & Mayberry Gardens/Denton & to those who cared for her during these past years. Viewing for friends & family will be held Friday, June 17, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home. There will be a private family celebration of her life the next day. She will be buried next to her beloved husband in Baccus Cemetery.
Published in Dallas Morning News on June 16, 2016