Dorothea Hardesty

Dorothea Ann (Vernon) Hardesty, 96, of Edmond, passed peacefully on December 29th, 2025, surrounded by family and friends. She was born on December 31, 1928 in Renfrow, OK to the late Zeffie and Viola (Collins) Vernon. She grew up and attended schools in Lamont, Hennessey, and Blackwell, later attending beauty college in Ponca City. Dorothea worked as a grocery store checker for a number of years, worked for the local Board of Education and then had a successful career in real estate in the Ponca City / Newkirk area for over 14 years. In 1970, she was widowed from the late George Shephard, then married Jack Hardesty on December 21, 1973. They lived in Ponca City before moving to Edmond in 1994. She leaves behind two brothers, Gary Vernon of Bellevue, NE and Kenneth Vernon of Newkirk and a sister, Loretta Vaugh of Moore, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Dorothea was proud to not only have survived the Great Depression and Dust Bowl but took those life lessons to build a beautiful and successful life, from raising emus to selling real estate, and being an amazing friend and caregiver to so many throughout the years. She was known to friends and neighbors as “The Pioneer Woman” for her fierce independence, strong work ethic and her ability to remember and share so many incredible stories from her lifetime. She enjoyed genealogy, gardening, sewing, reading, quilting, and was a lover of nature. Dorothea's kind and giving nature was evident in all that she did.

A graveside burial for relatives and friends will be held on January 2nd, 2026, at Gracelawn Cemetery, 1407 N. Boulevard, Edmond, at noon.