Family History of M.H. Hardy-Richland Parish Louisiana Submitted by Dot Golliher ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Marion Hampton Hardy Family Marion Hampton Hardy was born February 15, 1856 in Noxubee County Mississippi to Noah and Elizabeth Bishop Hardy. He was one of 8 children. Noah and family moved to Richland Parish Louisiana prior to 1870 as we find the family in that census in Richland as: 216/215- Noah Hardy W M 57 NC Elizabeth " W F 55 NC James B " W M 22 MS Mary " W F 18 MS Alice " W F 16 MS Marion " W M 14 MS Noah died in 1871 and we do not have the date of death of Elizabeth at this writing. M.H. (Marion) married first in 1877 to Edna S. Brister. His sister Alice married a Brister of Richland Parish also. We find Noah and Edna Hardy in the 1880 census as: 108/117- Marion H. Hardy W M 24 Edna S. " W F 15 Edna died shortly after that record and is buried at Little Creek Cemetery in Richland Parish. In 1883 M.H. Married Elizabeth Bird Justice who was born in 1855 in Alabama to Emily Ann Bird and Edward B. Justice. She was the oldest of 3 children. Her siblings were: Wiley M. Justice born in 1856 and Edward F. Justice born in 1858. Edward lived in Richland Parish for a number of years. He was first married to Sophronia Brister and then to Altha Jones and then to Maggie Thigpen. He had descendants in Richland Parish from his last two marriages. M.H. and Birdie (Lizzie) Hardy had four children born to their union: James Edward Hardy was born in 1885, Benjamin Field Hardy was born in 1886, Wiley Daniel Hardy was born in 1889 and died in 1891 and Fannie Cecil Hardy born in 1890. This family lived most of their time in northern Richland Parish in the Mann Community where for many years they owned and operated a country store. (This store is shown in the pictures section of Richland archives). Birdie Hardy died in 1917 and she and Wiley Daniel are both buried at Little Creek Cemetery. M. H. then, at the age of 52 in 1918, married Josephine Pierce of Philadelphia, MS. Josephine was one of 16 children of Jerry Greenberry Pierce and Sarah E. Hardy. Sara E. Was a daughter of John Curtis Hardy who was a brother to Noah the father of M. H.. M.H. and Josephine continued to operate Hardy's store in Richland Parish until M.H. died in 1922. M.H. Hardy was buried in Stevenson Cemetery in Richland Parish. Josephine continued to operate the store after M.H.'s death and married a Steve Goyne. Mr. And Mrs. Goyne sold the store to H.O. and Geneva Smith , a granddaughter of M.H. and her husband, in 1944. The children of M.H. and Birdie Hardy continued to live in the area. James Edward Hardy married Sarah Ella Stevenson of Richland Parish and to their union was born three children; Ben Marvin Hardy in 1907, Velma Geneva Hardy in 1909 and Rubye Ann Hardy in 1915. Ben Marvin died from an accidental shooting at the age of 15 and is buried at Stevenson Cemetery. Geneva married Henry Oliver Smith of Franklin Parish Louisiana and they had 2 children. Rubye married John T. Clack of Richland Parish. Ben Field Hardy married Evie Freeland of Morehouse Parish and to their union was born 4 children: Allie Bird Hardy born in 1912,James Marion Hardy born in 1913, Fannie Lee Hardy born in 1915 and Ben Field Hardy Jr. born in 1922. Allie Bird married Cecil Battenfield of Richland Parish and they had five children. Fannie Lee married Bell Gallman of Richland Parish and two children were born to that union. Ben Jr. married Rose Lamark of Pittsburgh, PA and had one child. There are many grandchildren, great grandchildren and more scattered through out the United States as a testimonial of M.H. and Elizabeth Birdie Hardy. Fannie Cecil Hardy married Prince W. Chambers of Richland Parish. They had no children. Prince died in 1960 and Fannie in 1977 and both are buried in Little Creek Cemetery.