Clara Frances (CF) Dent Harding, 102, died November 8, 2019, in the Belhaven house she had designed and built 65 years ago. Born to Eugene and Frances Hollingsworth Dent in March 1917, CF grew up in South Jackson, attended Jackson public schools, and was proud to be a charter member of Girl Scout Troop 1.
After graduating from Central HS, she attended Whitworth College and Millsaps, where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority, chosen Most Beautiful, and elected president of the Women’s Association. After graduation, she taught for a year before marrying John W. (Jack) Harding, Jr., on April 9, 1939, a romance that lasted until his death in 2017. . His WWII service took them to Washington, DC, where their son Randy was born. CF returned to Jackson while Jack served in N. Africa and Italy. After the war, they had 3 more children: Tommy, Richard, and Ann. An accomplished musician, CF was organist for 20 years at Calvary Baptist Church. She later joined First Baptist Church and sang in the choir. She was a long-time member and much-appreciated pianist at MacDowell Music Club, Cosmos and High Noon. She was also active in the Fort Rosalie DAR chapter, First Families of Mississippi, Colonial Dames, and the Jackson chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jack, her brothers William E. and Thomas Dent, by her sons Tommy and Randy Harding, and her daughter Ann Harding Drane Kind and always gracious, she will be missed by her son Richard Harding (Lee), son-in-law Michael Drane, daughter-in-law Lu Harding, grandchildren Ben Harding, Kate Holwerk (Charlie), Elizabeth Foster (Mike), Will Harding (Malinda), Tommy Drane (Erin), and Mary Ann Campbell (Monroe), and her Dent niece and nephews. She had 4 great grandchildren: Aliza Campbell, Jack, Audrey, and Ella Harding.
The family expresses its profound appreciation to CF’s caregivers Sarah White, Pam Griffith, Kenyatta Moffat, and T.K. Bryant for their faithful love and care.
Visitation will be at Lakewood Funeral Home Wednesday, November 13, from 1-2 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m.
Memorial gifts may be made to Middle Mississippi Girl Scout Council or The Samaritan’s Purse.
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