Hardin Thomas James Sr.

Hardin Thomas James Sr., 92, of Potomac, passed away October 5, 2020 at the Hawthorne Inn, in Danville IL.  

Hardin was born in Thomasboro, Illinois, to Ormal and Chloe Pearl (Webster) James.  He had four brothers and one sister, Marlou and Marylou (twins), Sherman, Eddie, and Lee.  A brother, Ormal Jr., and 2 sisters, Fanny and Sarah, died in childhood.

In his youth, Hardin loved competitions of all kinds, but especially boxing and baseball.  An oft mentioned highlight of his youth was competing in sports at Carthage College.

Hardin met Helen Holt as a sophomore at Armstrong High School and claims that he told her then that he was going to marry her.  She was the love and focus of his life, and they married on June 5, 1949 at No. 10 Church of Christ in rural Potomac.  They lived on the family farm near Potomac their entire married life, in the house they built, raising primarily grain, with some horses for Helen and Melody to pamper, and other livestock.  They both played saxophone in their band the Dream Beats.  In June 2019 they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary together.

Hardin was a member of No. 10 Church of Christ all of his adult life, serving on the church board for many years, and singing in the choir with Helen.  He also served as President of the Armstrong School District school board, and many farm organizations.  For 69 years, he was a 32nd degree mason and a member of Pleasant View Lodge (formerly Potomac Lodge), in Bismarck.  He was a private pilot, owning an airplane and having a runway on the farm for years.  He loved bowling, often competing on 2 leagues at a time.  He proudly participated in The Singing Men of WGNN in proclaiming the glory of God.

Hardin is survived by three sons- Hardin “Tom” James, Jr. of Verona, Wisconsin, Richard A. James of Potomac, and Mark O. (Kathy) James of Austin, Texas;  one daughter- Melody J. (Ron) Domanico of Atlanta, Georgia; nine grandchildren-  Jason, LaTessa, Kristin, Eli, Josie, Michelle, Adam, Daniel, and Amy;  nine great-grandchildren and one more on the way; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 70 years, Helen, his parents, five brothers, three sisters, and daughter-in-law Della.

A Celebration of Hardin’s Life will be held with an open visitation at Blurton Funeral Home, in Potomac, on Friday, October 9, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

With deep regrets from the family, due to current Covid-19 concerns and current health restrictions the funeral service will be private.  All are welcome to join the family following the service at Partlow Cemetery, in Armstrong, Saturday, October 10, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the No. 10 Church of Christ.  The family has entrusted the Blurton Funeral Home to assist them in honoring Hardin’s life.  Condolences may be sent to the family on his everlasting memorial page at:  www.BlurtonFuneralHomes.com.

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