We have been posting pictures and memories of my family and so we decided to give a little history of the Hardin side of the family. We chose Uncle Mack to write about. Sorry Uncle Mack White – this is about Mack Hardin! Maybe one day it will be about you!!!!!!
Uncle Mack was the youngest of the Hardin clan. He was the ninth child of Harve and Angeline Hardin. He was born in Pike County Kentucky on November 25, 1915, but the family moved to Mingo County when Uncle Mack was very young. Bill was named after his grandfather – William Harvey Hardin. Needless to say, Bill does not use his middle name. Bill’s grandparents passed away before he was born. What he knows about them had been told by his father, Clyde, Uncle Mack, and older cousins.
Uncle Mack was injured in a truck accident when he was fifteen. He lost his left leg up to his hip joint and had some internal injuries which caused him to live the rest of his life with a tube attached to his bladder. The medical world was not what it is today back in the 30’s. Had modern medicine been available, I’m sure Uncle Mack would have had an artificial leg and would not have needed the tubes after reconstructive surgery. Even with all his injuries and disabilities, he still lived a full and productive life. He was 83 when he joined his Heavenly family. Uncle Mack believed with all his heart that God sent His Son to die for all our sins so that we could join him in Heaven. He loved his Lord and Savior.
Some may wonder as to why we would write about Uncle Mack first. There were many reasons, but one reason was that he was like a second father to Bill and his brothers. After Uncle Mack’s parents died, Clyde was the one who looked after his younger brother. For as long as Bill could remember, Uncle Mack lived with them. Uncle Mack used crutches and a wheelchair to get around. When Bill and his buddies would go out front to play ball in the street, Uncle Mack went out to play as well. He did not let having only one leg keep him from playing his favorite sport – baseball.
Uncle Mack bled blue and red. Blue was for Kentucky basketball and red for the Cincinnati Reds. Ahhh – some of you may have figured out why Bill loves Kentucky and the Reds! Yes, it was Uncle Mack who helped Bill become the die-hard Reds fan that he is today – win or lose – he loves his Redlegs! Bill said they would listen to the radio and Uncle Mack taught him how to keep score. This was something Uncle Mack loved to do, and it was something he could do with his little nephew. Bill was about five years old when he started keeping score with Uncle Mack while listening to the Cincinnati Reds. What memories! Bill was very close to his uncle. He talks about some of the meals Uncle Mack would fix for them and grins – one in particular included cornbread being made using boiling water. Not sure what that was, but Bill said they ate it and it was pretty good. Uncle Mack was a gamer – he would try anything and did not feel sorry for himself.
When the highrise was built in Williamson, Uncle Mack and Clyde decided it would be a good thing for him to move into one of the apartments that would be equipped for a person with his disabilities. I’m sure it was a hard move for both of them. They had been together since Uncle Mack’s birth in 1915, and now it was 1975. Clyde had been away from Uncle Mack during WWII, but Uncle Mack could tell us every move and place Clyde had been during the war. He was a walking book of knowledge of family history. After settling in to his new home, Uncle Mack made lots of friends. We never visited him that he always had someone stop by to chat with him or to check on him. He was well liked and loved by all who knew him.
Uncle Mack had two passions – Red’s games and the Democratic Party! Ohhhh, he loved to talk politics. He was a die-hard Democrat who had pictures of FDR, JFK, Rockefeller, and Bill Clinton on his wall. Should Uncle Mack say he was feeling “poorly” and you asked him a question about politics or the Reds – he would become focused on those topics and forget about feeling bad. We loved our visits with him, and we miss him very much.
If I had to sum up who Uncle Mack was I would have to say he was a very compassionate and caring man. He did not feel sorry for himself, and he did not allow anything to keep him from doing what he loved. He was a man who loved God and praised Him; he loved watching ball games on his TV; and he loved to keep an eye on the political events. He had a smile that just makes you warm inside, because he always had a happy smile!
The following pictures are of Uncle Mack with Clyde, his mother, Bill, and David.
The first picture is one we all love – Uncle Mack and Clyde – looks like they’ve been playing in the creek!(1921)
The second picture is Uncle Mack before the accident.
The third picture is of Uncle Mack and his mother probably taken at Lenore.(1950)
The fourth picture shows Clyde and Uncle Mack.
The last picture was taken on one of our visits with Uncle Mack at the highrise - Bill, David, and Uncle Mack.
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