Round Two: Thanks, Mom

Oct. 2 marked 10 years since the death of my mother, Laura (Willoughby) Hardesty.

This isn’t just going to be a column about the life and times of my mom except to say she was a born-and-bred Portage Countian: raised in Brimfield, graduated from Field High School in 1965 (hers was the first class to go all the way through the new high school), played basketball and ran track for the Falcons, and was a majorette in the band. In fact, her baton was one of her prized possessions (that, and her red Field High class jacket), and I can remember Mom getting her baton out and showing me some of her moves with it when I was growing up. I was mesmerized that someone could have that kind of dexterity and hand-eye coordination; it was like the baton was a part of her arm.