Rebecca Hardaway King

Rebecca Hardaway King died peacefully at home on December 16, 2010 surrounded by her family. Born May 27, 1927, she was a fifth generation resident of Columbus. Her great great grandparents were pioneer citizens. Mrs. King moved from her Grandmother Hardaway’s house when she was three and lived with her parents, Benjamin Hurt Hardaway, Jr. and Louise Buttolph Hardaway, at Hardaway Hall until her marriage to E. Buford King, Jr in 1945.

She attended Sixteenth Street School, Wynnton School, Columbus High School and The Ogontz School and Junior College where she was President of two classes and served on the student council.

She was the President of the Columbus Junior League for two years and during that time she started the Attic Sale. She served as Altar Guild Chairman and President of the United Methodist Women at St. Paul United Methodist Church for a number of years. She was also a member of the Columbus Town Committee of the National Society of Colonial Dames. Mrs. King was the Honored Lady at the 1999 Historic Columbus Foundation Heritage Ball. Among her other interests were The Columbus Museum, Springer Opera House, PAWS Columbus and Columbus State University. She loved her family, arranging flowers and gardening, her lab Billy Bob and her three cats. In her youth, she showed horses and later fox hunted with the Midland Fox Hounds.

Mrs. King is survived by her three children Rebecca King Speir and her husband Robert, E. Buford King III and his wife Mary Pat, and Glenn King Springer and her husband John, her brother Benjamin Hurt Hardaway III and sister Sarah Hardaway Hughston. She has nine grandchildren: Robert Wilkinson Speir, Jr. and wife Madeleine, Benjamin King Speir and wife Anna, Thomas Hardaway Speir and wife Wynne, Elizabeth Glenn King, Rebecca Hardaway King, E. Buford King IV and wife Sheri, Lillian Glenn Springer, Mary Haden Whatley Springer and John Whatley Springer, Jr. and four great grandchildren: Benjamin King Speir, Jr., Rebecca Blair Speir, Robert Wilkinson Speir III, and James Nathaniel Speir.

A memorial service will be held Monday, December 20th at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary of St. Paul United Methodist Church according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Columbus. Dr. Edwin M. Cooper, Jr. will officiate. The family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall following the service. Interment will be private.

The family would like to express gratitude to Katherine Kimbrough, Donald Jenkins, Katie Jenkins, Otis Stovall, Roosevelt Harvey, the staff of Home Care Services and Columbus Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul United Methodist Church, The Columbus Museum, The Historic Columbus Foundation, or Springer Opera House. Condolences may be offered at www.shcolumbus.com.