Janie Myrlene Hardt

Janie Myrlene (Sanders) Hardt, 79, of Huntsville, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, faithful friend, gifted seamstress, and devoted follower of Christ, passed away peacefully at her home in the early morning hours of August 4, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.

Born in Fayetteville, Tennessee to Cora Leafy (Frame) St Clair and George Lemuel Sanders on February 2, 1947; Janie was a woman whose quiet strength, steadfast faith, and generous heart shaped every life she touched. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Jim Sanders and Wendell Sanders; her sister-in-love, Mary (Marchand) Sanders; and her infant daughter, Tammy.

She graduated from Lee High School in Huntsville, Alabama in 1965, obtained her bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education in 1975 and her masters degree in Education and Science in 1991 from Alabama A&M University. Janie taught for over 30 in different locations throughout the state of Alabama. She was a computer whiz despite growing up in a world without the internet, YouTube tutorials, or next-day delivery. If something needed repaired, she figured out how to fix it. If she wanted something, she learned how to make it herself. Resourceful, determined, and endlessly creative, she believed there was almost nothing that couldn’t be accomplished with a little patience, hard work, and faith.

That spirit led her to become an exceptionally talented seamstress. Janie owned and operated her own sewing shop, "Hardt's Bridal Fabrics," where she transformed simple pieces of fabric into treasured keepsakes. Her sewing machine became more than a tool—it became her love language. Through every stitch she created quilts, clothing, costumes, gifts, and heirlooms that wrapped her family in warmth long before they ever realized what a legacy she was creating.

In 1978, Janie married Jerry Hardt. Together they built a life grounded in faith, commitment, and unconditional love.

Janie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November of 2025 and underwent chemotherapy for several months. By the spring of 2026 the chemotherapy and its side effects were too much for her body to endure. Janie made the deeply personal decision to stop treatment and spend her time focusing on the life and people she loved the most. During this most difficult chapter of their lives, Jerry’s devotion to Janie became an extraordinary testimony of marriage. Janie was his North Star. Every day, he dedicated himself to her comfort, dignity, and happiness, lovingly caring for her with remarkable tenderness and unwavering faithfulness. Their love became an example of what it truly means to honor the vows, “in sickness and in health.”

Of all the titles Janie held, the one she treasured most was Momma. She was the proud mother of her only son, William Timothy “Tim” Hardt, who lovingly called her simply “Momma.” She celebrated the man he became, the faith he lived, and the family he built. Nothing made her smile quite like hearing Tim sing, whether they were belting out Elvis's Hound Dog as a duet, or singing Beulah Land in church - Janie's gift of song lives on through her son.

When Tim’s military career took him far from home, Joe, Forrest, Patrice, Katrina, and Nina became far more than extended family. They became Janie’s everyday family. They celebrated holidays together, shared meals, laughed often, carried one another through difficult days, and surrounded Janie with steadfast love. Their closeness was one of the greatest blessings of her life.

Gifted seamstress, inspiring teacher, beloved wife and aunt and Tim's cherished Momma - Janie moved through life with many beautiful roles filled with love and purpose. But to a very special few she was their Boppie.

Orin, Quinn, Jameson, Eileen, Aellia, Aaeesha and Augustus were incredibly blessed to call her their grandmother, Boppie possessed the rare gift of making every child feel uniquely known and deeply loved. She remembered favorite colors, favorite characters, favorite stories, and what made each grandchild unmistakably their own. Every year brought a hand-stitched, theme specific birthday shirt inspired by whatever captured that child’s imagination that year—whether princesses, Harry Potter, Super Mario, Paw Patrol, or another favorite—lovingly sewn by Boppie’s hands.

And every Christmas brought one of the family’s most treasured traditions - matching Christmas pajamas, handmade with love for the entire family. Those pajamas became more than Christmas gifts—they became symbols of togetherness, laughter, family photographs, and memories that will forever warm their hearts.

Her love was never loud or flashy. It was found in the quiet moments: the hum of a sewing machine late into the evening, a warm meal, a hand, a hymn sung in church, a prayer, or even a stern finger giving her son "a what for" - these were all the countless little ways she cared for those she loved. She taught her family that the greatest expressions of love are often the simplest.

For more than forty years, Janie faithfully served in her church choir, lifting her voice in worship and pointing others toward Christ. Her faith wasn’t something she merely spoke about—it was something she lived every single day through humility, generosity, and steadfast service.

The family would also like to extend their deepest gratitude to Mo, Janie’s lifelong friend, confidant, and neighbor just across the street. During the last six months of Janie’s life, Mo faithfully watched over her with tireless love and devotion. Whether checking in, offering comfort, lending a hand, or simply sitting beside her, Mo became family in every sense of the word. Her friendship was one of God’s greatest gifts to Janie, and her kindness will never be forgotten.

Janie never measured a life by what a person owned, but by how well they loved. She understood that the strongest families, much like the quilts she so carefully stitched, are made one piece at a time—with patience, sacrifice, faith, and love.

If you ever received something lovingly sewn by Janie, heard her sing a favorite hymn, slipped into a pair of Christmas pajamas she made, or felt welcomed into her home, then you experienced the way she loved—with her whole heart.

Though her sewing machine has grown still and her beautiful voice now joins Heaven’s choir, the love she stitched into her family will never unravel. It lives on in every quilt draped across a bed, every Christmas photograph in matching pajamas, every birthday memory, every hymn sung in church, and in the hearts of those blessed enough to know her as Janie, Momma, Boppie, sister, neighbor, and friend.

Janie’s legacy lives on through her devoted husband, Jerry, her son, Tim, her seven beloved grandchildren, Orin, Quinn, Jameson, Eileen, Aellia, Aaeesha, and Gus; her nephews, Joe Sanders and Forrest (Patrice) Sanders; her niece, Katrina (Bill) Chandler and her great-niece, Nina.

There will be a Celebration of Life held at Locust Grove Baptist Church, 171 County Lake Road, New Market, Alabama 35761. Visitation will begin at 10:30, service will begin at 11:30

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” — Proverbs 31:25