Hardy Family Scholarship
About Nancy Hardy
My grandfather, James Thomas Hardy, arrived in Kiowa County, Kansas as a 22-year-old in 1884 after walking approximately 100 miles from Wichita, counting his steps as he walked. He homesteaded southeast of what is now Greensburg. James married Susan Cora Rowland in 1897 and together they had two children James Byrd Hardy and Mary Hardy. My father, James Byrd Hardy, farmed the land with his father as a young child, attended Kansas State University and married my mother, Alta Dunn Hardy, in 1936. Alta was the daughter of Adelbert and Lutitia Dunn, who had settled in the southern part of Kiowa County. My father expanded his farming operation to include registered Herford cattle and registered Quarter Horses. Both grandfather and dad served as Sheriff of Kiowa County (grandfather beginning in 1899 for two terms, and dad from 1975 – 1981). My parents had two daughters, Mary Susan, and Nancy Ann. Mother died in 1986 and dad in 2000 after living their entire lives in Kiowa County. Both Susan and I graduated from Greensburg High School, Susan in 1962.
I started riding horses when I was 4 on my Shetland pony, Junior. Junior was followed by bigger horses as I grew, and eventually we started raising registered Quarter Horses and competing with them across several states. To further foster my love of animals, my parents gave me two registered Corriedale ewes with three lambs as a gift. From that small beginning, I grew a large herd that helped fund my college education. I graduated from Greensburg High School in 1966 and Colorado Women’s College in 1970. After I relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona where I worked in real estate related businesses. In 1976, I married and in 1991, Merrill and I moved to Bellingham, Washington. My husband passed away in 2001. In 2013, I retired from Bellingham Public Schools after 20 years. I remarried in 2013 and Terry and I have enjoyed traveling extensively. In retirement, I have continued to foster my love of animals by volunteering at our local humane society and wildlife center.
Although I no longer live in Kiowa County, my heart is still there and, as a second-generation graduate of Greensburg Public Schools, I am pleased to award this scholarship on behalf of my family. I have always valued education and feel the opportunities I had in college contributed greatly to the quality of my life. It is my wish that the recipient of this scholarship uses the funds to further their education in a field that will benefit agriculture or animals.