Willie Maee Hardage-Estes

Willie Mae Hardage-Estes, 103, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 1.

A memorial service was held Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church in Wichita Falls.

Willie Mae was born on Jan. 11, 1918, at the home place in Iowa Park. She was schooled in Iowa Park; and graduated from W.F. George High School in 1935. She attended Texas State College for Women for two years before transferring to Northwestern University in Chicago where she received a B.S. degree in speech in 1939. She continued her education by taking business courses at the University of Texas. For the next few years, she had a variety of occupations, many that were uncommon for women of that era. Especially notable was her job as a radio DJ and as the creator and host of a radio program for women and children. She and Pat Hardage married in 1946 and took residence in Wichita Falls, They were married 39 years and raised four children. After his death in 1985, she began traveling, took up yoga and race walking, and became an elder in the Presbyterian Church. She and Linton Pete Estes married in 1996, built a cabin in Colorado, traveled the world. He passed away in 2014. She moved to Dallas to be close to her children.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William Franklin and Nellie Weeth George; five siblings, Catherine Knox, Hazel Larimer, Josephine Goodwin, William Arthur George, and Nell Johnson; two husbands, Pat Hardage and Pete Estes; and her youngest son, Kevin.

Survivors include her children, Ginger Carlin, Kelly Hardage, Mike Hardage; Pete’s two children, Emily Estes McAlpine and Craig Estes; 10 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

The family suggest memorials be made to CC Young, Attn: Mindi Hail 4847 W. Lawther Dr. #100 Dallas, Texas 75214.