Ron Harden, 83 of Chandler, Arizona and formerly of New Sharon and What Cheer, passed away peacefully Sunday afternoon, July 17, 2022 at his home in Chandler. Memorial services will begin at 2:00 pm Monday, August 8, 2022 at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in New Sharon. Burial with military rites will be held the Friends Cemetery. A reception/coffeetime will follow the service in the McVay Center in New Sharon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the New Sharon United Methodist Church or the Prairie Knolls Country Club. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of New Sharon is in charge of arrangements.

Ronald Wayne Harden, the son of Max and Irene (Johnson) Harden, was born on March 11, 1939 in Muscatine, Iowa. He graduated from New Sharon High School with the class of 1956. Ron then attended Central College in Pella before attending Worsham Mortuary School in Chicago receiving his mortuary science diploma in 1959. On August 16, 1959, Ron was united in marriage to Linda Scheuermann. To this union two children were born, Tamara and Greg. Ron enlisted with the United States Army in 1961 and was honorably discharged from Fort Hood, Texas in 1964 but remained in the Reserves until 1967. Ron worked in Marshalltown and Keokuk prior to moving to What Cheer in 1964 where he worked for his father in the Harden Funeral Home. Ron and Linda purchased the funeral home in What Cheer in 1966 eventually purchasing the New Sharon funeral home. Ron and his father, Max, ran the Harden Funeral Home together for many years with the help of Ron's wife, Linda, before selling the business after Max's death in 1989.

After they sold the business, Ron and Linda retired and moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona to be closer to their children. Ron was a member of the London Bridge Golf Club where he played daily and competed in golf events around the region.  In 2005, they moved back to New Sharon and wintered in Chandler, AZ. He was also an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan, loved to watch local races in Oskaloosa and Knoxville, enjoyed watching NASCAR on T.V. and loved to meet up with friends and go out to dinner. Ron was a member of the New Sharon United Methodist Church and What Cheer United Methodist Church, a charter member of the Prairie Knolls Country Club, the What Cheer Lions, What Cheer Commercial Club, Tri County Booster Club and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association.

Ron is survived by his two children, Tamara (Jim) Bell of Queen Creek, Arizona and Greg (Lisa) Harden of Phoenix, Arizona; four grandchildren, Nick Bell of Queen Creek, Arizona, Hannah Bell of Queen Creek, Arizona, Max Harden of Scottsdale, Arizona and Ben Harden of Scottsdale, Arizona; his sister, Elizabeth "Betty" Smith of Mountain Home, Idaho; a niece Sandy Fields and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Irene Harden; his wife, Linda Harden; a brother-in-law, Fred Smith; a niece, Debbie Smith; parents-in-law, Harold and Lucille Scheuermann and a sister-in-law in infancy, Janet Scheuermann.