Lou was born in Dixon, Missouri on March 12, 1932. Her parents were Price V. Prewett and Ursie Rollins Prewett. She grew up in Dixon and graduated from Dixon High School in 1950. She attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and graduated in 1952 and moved to Kansas City where she went to work at Bendix Aviation Company (now called Allied Signal Corporation). She was hired as a secretary and was quickly promoted to the executive secretary for the divisional attorney.
In 1955, Lou married William Burriss Harding who was a chemical engineer at Bendix. They set up house in the Ruskin Heights development in Hickman Mills and survived the 1957 tornado which tore through Ruskin Heights missing their home by one block. In 1957, Lou retired from Bendix to become a mother. Gregory Kent Harding was born Feb. 14, 1958.
Lou, Bill and Greg moved to Leawood, KS and in 1960 their daughter, Susan Kristy, was born. Lou was active in the PTA and other school activities while her children were young.
Lou rarely sat still. She was an active member of Leawood Welcomers, The League of Women Voters, The Johnson County Young Matrons, and Stephens College alumnae. She was a founding member at Leawood South Country Club where she golfed, played bridge and socialized. She served as a Deacon at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church. After Bill retired, they built their dream house in Hallbrook and were social members at Hallbrook Country Club. Both Lou and Bill performed in several plays with the Senior Barn Players. Lou also volunteered at Menorah Medical Center .
After Bill died, Lou moved to Denver, Colorado to be closer to her daughter, Susan. She continued to play duplicate bridge and socialize at Holly Creek Retirement Community. She never lost her love for Kansas City.
She was preceded in death by her son, Greg and husband, Bill. Lou is survived by her daughter, Susan Harding and son in law, Mark Baretta of Sedalia, Colorado.
Services will be held at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 10:45 am where Lou will be laid to rest with Bill & Greg at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of your choice.
