UPDATE:

A Celebration of Life for Wendell will be held at 3:00 pm Sunday, August 15, 2021 at the Johnson Park at Forrest Home. Please bring your own lawn chairs if you'd like to sit.

Wendell Hardeman, 85 of Fayetteville, AR, and Montezuma, IA, passed away on Friday, November 13, 2020 in Fayetteville at his home. Private funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2020 and burial with military rites will be held in the West Liberty Cemetery near Montezuma. A public visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 18 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma with no family present. Due to the mandate put in place by Governor Reynolds on November 17, 2020, the staff at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home will only allow 15 people at a time in the funeral home counting the staff during visitation hours and masks must be worn. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of arrangements.

Wendell Eugene Hardeman was born on May 17, 1935 near Taintor, Iowa to Pete and Lena Huyser Hardeman. He was raised on the family farm with his siblings and worked very hard. He attended Forest Home Country School and also Montezuma High School before enlisting in the United States Army. He attended basic training at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas and served 18 months in Korea at the 38 ^th Parallel in the 24 ^th division. He was also at the DMZ at Pamumjon in the 13 ^th Field Artillery. He then served in the 24 ^th Division then changed to the 1 ^st Cavalry where he went through mine fields and served as a forward observer. Wendell ended up in Fort Riley with the 1 ^st Division where he was honorably discharged receiving the Good Conduct Medal along with the Korea Defense Service Medal. Following his discharge, he worked for Carmon Johnson at the grain elevator, for Earl DeJong and at the Barnes City Elevator. Wendell was united in marriage to Marilyn Johnson on October 4, 1958 at the West Liberty Church near Searsboro. To this union three children were born, Marcia, Wade and Wayland. They lived in Northeast Arkansas and then moved to Cedar Rapids where he worked at the Federal Building before moving to New Orleans in 1976 where he became a grain inspector for the USDA for six years. They then moved to Lead Hill, Arkansas where they owned and operated a Texaco Gas Station, a convenience store and a hardware store at Alpena, Arkansas. Due to Wendell's health concerns, they decided to move to Alamo, Texas enjoying warm weather before going back to Arkansas and Montezuma.

Wendell was a very hard worker and was known for the best hugs and very firm handshakes. He enjoyed mowing, auctions, coffeetime at The Depot Express, livestock auctions and visiting with old friends. He was very close to his family. He was a member of the West Liberty Church of Christ and the Robinson Avenue Church of Christ in Springdale, Arkansas. He was also a member of the VFW Post 10417 in Lead Hill, Arkansas.

Wendell is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marilyn; his daughter, Marcia Jones of Bethany, OK; his son, Wade (Stella) Hardeman of Choctaw, OK; his daughter-in-law, Jennifer Hardeman; six grandchildren, Dirk Jones, Dustin Jones, Danielle Yazzie, Darian Jones, Christina Hardeman, and step grandson, Brandon Balke; six great grandchildren, Isabella, Leyla, Mia, Michael, Vayda and Olivia; his sisters, Thelma Story of Grinnell, Helen Dill of Aurora, CO, Arlene Bryngelson of Duluth, MN and Barbara Ann Jansky of St. Cloud, MN, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Wendell is preceded in death by his parents, his son, Wayland Hardeman and his brothers, John Hardeman and Marion Hardeman.