(stolen) History Lesson

you may have heard that i'm going on a European extravaganza in a few weeks. more on that later.

but i thought you should all know the reason for this trip: the Huntly Hardie reunion, taking place in New Lanark, Scotland. my cousin Ben, (the oldest son of my mother's brother, uncle skip) decided to put a little bit of a history of the Hardie clan on his blog. it can be viewed here. i've also cut/pasted it below and added on a little bit of my own lore. enjoy!

A bit of history on my family, as far back as people with far more time than I, have been able to trace back.

Adam Hardie (1823 - 1879)
Born in Scotland, emigrated to Pittsburgh, PA, and worked as a blacksmith. His widow endowed some land to the city after Adam's death. Today Hardie Way, in Pittsburgh, remains a lasting legacy of the first Hardie on American soil.

George Edward Hardie (1870 - 1949)
Youngest of Adam Hardie's five children, he was an engineer and entrepreneur who had three children.

Joesph Hardie (1897-1967)
Those dates could be way off, I'd have to ask my folks on that one. Joe was a publisher who lived on Long Island (Rockville Center) and commuted by train every day to NYC. Was married to Edna Muller, my Great Granny who lived to be 102 years old. Great Granny was always very thankful that "her Joe" had taught her how to drive at a time when women drivers were quite uncommon. Great Granny finally gave up driving "the old ladies to church" when she was 99.

David Hardie (1925 - )
Gramps grew up on Long Island, graduated high school early and joined the 10th Mountain Division to fight in the Italian Alps in World War II. After the war, he attended Cornell University, married my grandmother , Joan "Nana" Dickey, and purchased his first farm in Danby, NY. In 1952, he purchased what has now become Hardie Farms Inc and raised his family in the farm house that I grew up in. Well known (at least by his grandchildren) for his slightly offcolor choice of pre-swimming songs: "I like to go swimmin with bow-legged women and dive between their knees...."

David "Skip" Ernest Hardie (1950 - )
My father, oldest of Dave and Joan's three children. Grew up at 31 Holden Rd, Lansing, NY, pursued varies undocumented post high school adventures, attended original woodstock music festival, hitchhiked cross country a lot, did a lot of skiing in Jackson Hole, sometimes attended Michigan State University, and eventually returned to the farm to help out Gramps. That turned into a pretty good idea, Hardie Farms has grown incredibly since 1952 and is a flourishing, state of the art, profitable, smoothly operating enterprise today. Married Mom (Holly Norris) around 1978 and raised four blond kids (me, Cait, Joe, Adam) on the farm. Check out the picture of Adam Hardie from the 19th century and Adam Hardie from the 21st century. I think I can see the resemblance, don't you?


this part added by me:
Ann Hardie (1958 - )
My mother, Skip's younger sister, grew up in above mentioned farm house, also participated in undocumented post high school adventures, attended Cornell University, followed my dad (Roger Yale, aka, Faja Raj) to Dallas in 1982. Settled in Little Elm, TX in 1997 and continues to reside with the dogs and two of the 4 "Texas Yale" children. She will also get to drive in the UK (ie. the other side of the road) with my dad and brother Danny all the way up to the reunion. I can't wait to hear the stories of that trek!

like i said, i'll give you all more information on the extravaganza in a bit! stay tuned...