DeAnna Hardie

DeAnna Hardie, loving wife, mother of five, grandmother of ten, and great-grandmother of six was called home by the Lord this week at the age of 88.

Born DeAnna Audrey Moore on March 17, 1933 in Little Rock, Arkansas, DeAnna lived in rural Arkansas until at a young age she was placed in a Fort Worth, Texas orphanage following the untimely death of her parents. At the age of seven DeAnna was adopted by Arthur B. and Addie B. Carter of Fort Worth. DeAnna loved telling her children stories of her “proper upbringing” by the Carters. One of her favorite memories was when her adoptive father, then Tarrant County Sheriff, would take her to work with him. She recalled fondly jingling jailhouse keys and playing on the Tarrant County Courthouse steps.

DeAnna graduated from Fort Worth’s North Side High School in 1950, and later attended Texas Wesleyan University. In 1951 she married her high school sweetheart, Wesley Lee Johnson, and over the next several years had three children, Lee Jr., Lisa, and Kathryn. In 1970 Deanna became widowed, losing Lee Sr., the love of her life. Suddenly finding herself a single mother of three young children, she returned to the workforce as a salesperson and instructor for the Dale Carnegie Courses. It is here she met and later fell in love with renowned Fort Worth custom jewelry designer Jess Hardie, a father of two daughters, Vicki and Lea Ann. DeAnna and Jess married in 1973 and moved their blended family to Glen Rose, Texas, where they built their dream home along the historic Brazos River. Both DeAnna and Jess loved the Glen Rose community where they shared a rich social and religious life together for more than 40 years. DeAnna said a temporary goodbye to her beloved husband Jess in November 2013. Then twice-widowed, DeAnna remained in Glen Rose until 2017 at which time she moved to Plano, Texas, near her daughter Kathryn and her family. DeAnna enjoyed her years in Plano, but it became time in December 2021 for her to return to Glen Rose, the community she held dearest for so many decades and where her daughter Lisa and husband Cliff live.

During the final weeks of her life, DeAnna resided in Cherokee Rose Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Glen Rose, tenderly comforted by Lisa and Cliff. Both DeAnna and her family were grateful for the many long-time and treasured friends who visited and prayed with and for her. DeAnna’s graceful spirit ascended to Heaven on the evening of February 2, 2022, in the arms of her beloved son Lee.

DeAnna is survived and will be greatly missed by her children, Lee Johnson, Jr. of Madiun, Indonesia and wife Youngju; Lisa Bise and husband Cliff of Glen Rose; Kathryn Johnson Fink and husband Stephen Fink of Carrollton; and Vicki Rivers of Longmont, Colorado. DeAnna was also adored by grandchildren Nicole Johnson and Daniel Johnson of Seoul, South Korea; Jessica Perciful of Okinawa, Japan; Kelsey Centineo of Arlington, Texas; Benjamin Roark of Killeen, Texas; Matthew Roark of Mansfield, Texas; Drew Fink of Carrollton, Texas and Lawrence, Kansas; Pierce Fink of Carrollton and Waco, Texas; and many great-grandchildren. DeAnna especially cherished all her long-time and loving friends in Beta Sigma Phi sorority. Lea Ann Hardie Gilmore preceded DeAnna in death.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Services 11:00 AM, Friday, February 11, 2022 at First Baptist Church ,in Glen Rose. Burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Fort Worth, TX.

Visitation 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Thursday, February 10, 2022 at Wiley Funeral Home, Glen Rose.