Willa Mae Hardesty

Willa Mae Hardesty passed away on April 25th, 2023 at The Hospice House of Spokane after a long battle with a debilitating illness. She was born during the heart of the Depression in 1931 to William and Mabel Boozer and grew up on a wheat farm near Rosalia, WA. She was the middle daughter of 3 children. At a young age, Mary her older sister, had a difficult time pronouncing Willa Mae and called her Honey. She carried this nickname with her throughout her entire life. When Willa Mae graduated from Rosalia High School, she was the valedictorian for the class of 1949. She went on to earn a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree in Home Economics Education from Washington State College (now WSU). Willa Mae was an avid reader and read hundreds of books throughout her lifetime. She married Boyd when she was 20 and they shared 62 years together before he passed away in 2015. While living in West Lake Hills, TX, she became involved with the League of Women Voters and was often called upon to be an election judge in her precinct in Travis County. She helped found the Wild Basin Nature Preserve that has protected the nesting sights of the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler and the Black-Capped Vireo. She was also involved in the Rosalia community delivering Cheer Baskets to those who had suffered a recent loss. Her mother, Mabel, started the Cheer Baskets in 1935 and the tradition carries on today through the Rosalia Garden Club. Boyd and Willa Mae traveled extensively to countries across the globe, including, Japan, Argentina, Chile, Germany, Italy, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, and Namibia. While in South Africa she and Boyd descended to the working face of the hartbeest gold mine some 4000 ft below the surface. In 1999, after 35 years in TX, Boyd retired from the University of Texas and they returned to Rosalia where life first began. She is preceded in death by her husband Boyd Hardesty, her parents William and Mabel Boozer, her older sister Mary Bowman, and her younger brother Robert Boozer. Together, Boyd and Willa Mae raised 3 children of their own who she is survived by. Bruce Hardesty of Austin TX, Brian (Lisa) Hardesty of Rosalia, WA, and Diana Burmaster (Doug) of Houston, TX, and 4 grandchildren (Diana) Derek, Patrick, Jennifer, and Katherine. She was loved by all who knew her and will be very much missed. “God be with you till we meet again.”

Willa Mae Hardesty

September 18, 1931 - April 25, 2023