Dorothy Della Hardy

November 8, 1931 — February 18, 2023

Gillette

Funeral service for Dorothy Hardy will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, February 24, 2023 at First Baptist Church with Pastor Donavon Voigt officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services and the church. Dorothy Della (DeDe) Hardy passed away peacefully Saturday, February 18, 2023 at the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette, surrounded by family. She is survived by her brother Bob Sprague, her sons AJ (Billie) Hardy, Kelly (Wendy) Hardy, Nathan (Dawn) Hardy, Stepson Bill (Linda) Hardy, 15 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren all of whom were her pride and joy. She was preceded in death by her soulmate and husband of 51 years, William (Bill) Hardy, her parents, sisters Jane Coulter and Gayle Rom and her brother James (Jimmy) Lawson, her daughter Danna Dell Hardy, stepson Richard Hardy, and infant grandson, Logan Hardy and her long-time companion Roy Knutson. Dorothy was born November 8, 1931, at home in Sheridan, Wyoming. She was delivered by her father Gene Sprague and raised by her mother Pearl and stepfather Roy McGuire. In her early days, she lived on a ranch in northeast Wyoming and then moved, along with her parents and older siblings, to her grandfather Liming’s farm near Lodge Grass, Montana. As a teenager, she stayed with her grandmother Lydia Liming while attending high school in Hardin, MT. She was raised by devout Christian women and became one herself. Dorothy came to know the Lord and dedicated the rest of her life to living with purpose, the true definition of "good and faithful servant." At a rodeo in Hardin, MT on the 4^th of July 1949, she met a “good-looking cowboy”, Bill Hardy, when she fixed him a plate of food. Their first date was to a baseball game in Billings, Montana and they married December 22, 1949. They didn’t have a traditional honeymoon but if you asked Dorothy, she would say the honeymoon was “from then on”. Bill brought with him two sons from a previous marriage. In their 51 years together, Dorothy and Bill brought four more children into the world and helped raise a few others. Dorothy had many talents and interests. She was an active member of Eastern Star, Wyoming Homemakers Club, and Wyoming Cattle Women. She was a 4-H leader for 20 years and taught Kindergarten at First Baptist church. She wrote the Rawhide Roundup for the newspaper and many enjoyed her home-made cinnamon rolls on voting day when she served as an Election Judge. She loved her chickens, her milk cows and her garden. Dorothy’s cupboards were full of her home canned tomatoes, pickles, etc. She was an incredibly talented artist and craftswoman and enjoyed painting, furniture refinishing, ceramics, sewing and crocheting. She made many afghans, blankets and quillows for each of her grandchildren and many of her great grandchildren. Dorothy was also known for her amazing cooking and baking (specifically her parker house rolls, seven-layer salad with homemade dressing, cinnamon rolls and rhubarb pie). She wanted to feed anyone that walked through her door. Her refrigerator and pantry were comparable to Mary Poppins’ bottomless bag. Her welcome was always followed by, “Are you hungry? What can I cook for you?” No matter the answer, there would be a plate in front of you with all your favorites in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Her favorite meal was what she made for her family, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, home-canned green beans or peas, or in the summertime, corn on the cob from the garden. She enjoyed reading western novels and magazines, listening to country music (Alan Jackson’s gospel songs were some of her favorites), dancing, and working in her garden. Later in life, Dorothy and Roy Knutson traveled the western US and cruised to Alaska. Dorothy devoted her life to the Lord. She was an active member of First Baptist Church, sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School and Bible study and always prayed at mealtime. She wanted to be remembered for her faith, but those who were blessed to have known her will remember her for that and so much more. Dorothy lived a life of service, her faith in the Lord was unmatched and she had the perfect prayer for any situation. Everyone that knew her felt she had a direct line to God and depended on her and her powerful prayers to help them through any difficult circumstance. She was compassionate and kind and showed others the true definition of unconditional love. Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel 210 West 5^th Street, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be expressed at www.gillettememorialchapel.com

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Friday, February 24, 2023

1:00 - 2:00 pm (Mountain time)

First Baptist Church

501 S Gillette Ave, Gillette, WY 82716

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