Barbara Hardcastle was born on April 6, 1927 to Bruce and Novella Turner in Fort Smith, AR. She graduated from Northside High School in May of 1944 and received a bachelor's degree from the Fort Smith, Jr. College. Barbara was an officer in the Alpha Pi Omega sorority. In 1947 she married the love of her life, Ben Hardcastle, who worked at First National Bank of Fort Smith. Her father was a well-known contractor in Fort Smith who designed and built the bell tower at St. Scholastica and also built Ben and Barbara a nice home off South Albert Pike. Ben accepted a banking job at the Beverly Hills Savings and Loan so Ben and Barbara Took off to North Hollywood, California. There they met many Hollywood actors at their church and became fast friends with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Barbara became an ordained minister and was a public speaker with inspirational messages,
Barbara took a job as a supervisor with Fannie Mae, the government backed lending Institution, and there she wrote the FHA loan we use today, making home ownership possible for almost everyone. Barbara was one of the first female executives at Fannie Mae, an accomplishment way before her time.
When Ronald Reagan ran for Governor of California, Barbara was his campaign manager when he ran for President of the United States, she worked diligently on his campaign. Barbara’s claim to fame was that she introduced him to Jelly Bellies. She kept him stocked his entire presidency.
In 1991, Ben and Barbara retired and moved back to Fort Smith to take care of her ailing mother. Here she became very active in state and local politics, she helped Mike Huckabee and Asa Hutchinson get elected as Governor. She was membership chairman of the Republican Women and during her tenure we had the largest membership ever. Barb was not only interested in Arkansas and National politics, she was also a driving figure in local politics helping many Sebastian County leaders, including Mayor Ray Baker, get elected as well as City Councilmen.
She worked diligently to keep the 188th here and was successful. I ask her once why she and Ben didn’t take off and see the world? Her answer was a simple “Been there, done that and we don’t have much time left to make a difference.” Well, Barbara certainly made a difference in this world. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and what her mission was.
She is survived by a Sister-in law, Martha Turner of Maryland, a niece, Karen Dunn and her husband Jonathan Dunn and a nephew Steven Turner of Chicago, Illinois, a Cousin, Ben Lewis and his wife Anna. She was preceded in death by her brother Charles Turner and her parents, Novella and Bruce Turner In the last few years, she was grateful for her friends and caregivers and loved them like her Children. She passed away January 13th at Fianna Hills Nursing Home from Covid 19.
Funeral Service will be 1:00 P.M. Thursday at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. Public Viewing will be from Noon to 5:00 P.M. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Honorary pallbearers will be Connie McKinney, Jim Shepherd, Steve Turner and Jonathan Dunn.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 or go to www.woundedwarriorproject.org
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