Elzina “Zina” L Hardin, 90, of Keosauqua, IA passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at the Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua, IA. As were her wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service in her honor will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Cranston Family Funeral Home in Keosauqua, IA with Pastor Mary Kathryn Hart officiating. Burial will be in the Fellows Cemetery immediately following the service. A visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Cranston Family Funeral Home in Keosauqua with the family present to greet friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions in Zina’s honor may be directed to the Fellows Cemetery Association or to Christmas for Kids and may be mailed c/o Cranston Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 189, Fairfield, IA 52556. Friends may leave online condolences or join the webcast at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com
Elzina Leona Hardin was born on May 17, 1934, in Corydon, Iowa, to Jesse and Wilma Cox Hook. She attended school in Corydon and was a 1952 graduate of Corydon High School. Zina quickly embraced the essence of love and commitment when she married her soulmate, Hugh Hardin on Independence Day in 1952 in Chariton, Iowa. The couple moved to Keosauqua in 1964, where they began the challenge and joy of raising five rambunctious boys, a job Zina cherished with every fiber of her being.
Zina’s caring nature drove her professional career as she served as a compassionate Certified Nursing Assistant at both the Van Buren County Hospital and the Van Buren County Home. Zina was an active member of the Red Hat Society and a regular attendee at the Keosauqua United Methodist Church. She was also the driving force for over 30 years behind “Christmas for Kids,” a labor of love that ensured local children received new presents each holiday season—a tradition she honored and prepared for throughout each year.
Zina cherished the hours spent quilting and sewing, talents she contributed as a member of a quilt club and a group dedicated to creating blankets and pillows for Christmas for Kids and other worthy causes. Her love for her family could be felt in every carefully crafted scrapbook page, preserving memories of their life events. She loved hearing about the successes and adventures of her ten grandchildren—Mike, Matt, Ashley, Jessica, Brandon, Austin, Trent, Mackenzie, Trey, and Kalli—and eleven great-grandchildren, dedicating her role to being their biggest supporter and the family’s historian.
Though preceded in death by her parents, husband Hugh (2018), and son Jesse “Wally” Hardin (2022), Zina’s legacy lives on. She is survived by her sons, Randy of Keosauqua, Cliff of Danville, IL, Clint (Judy) of Birmingham, IA, and Edd (Coreen) of Fairchild, WI; her siblings, Jim, Marie, Mary Ann, Connie, Bonnie, and Janet; and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with numerous extended family and friends.
