Kenneth Harden

Kenneth John Harden, 90, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa, died Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at the Iowa Masonic Health Facility in Bettendorf.

His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 8, 2014 at Bettendorf Presbyterian Church in Bettendorf where he was a member.  Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the services on Saturday at the church.  Burial will be in Wayside Cemetery in Chapin, Iowa on Monday.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church of Wilton, Iowa, Bettendorf Presbyterian Church, a church of the Donor’s choice or to Camp Courageous.  McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf is assisting the family with arrangements.

Kenneth was born February 2, 1924 near Blairsburg, Iowa, the son of William I. “John” & Addie (Nicholson) Harden.  He attended schools in in Franklin County and graduated from the Chapin Consolidated School in 1941. He attended Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls for one year after which he taught a rural school near Latimer, Iowa in Franklin County for four years. He then began his work at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa and at the same time began his Pastoral work as a student supply pastor in the Methodist Church in Oxford Junction.

During his years in Oxford Junction he taught in the public school there. He received his B.A. degree from Cornell College in 1953. At that time, the Methodist Churches in Oxford Junction and Wyoming were yoked and he served both churches, living in Wyoming.

During those years, too, he served the former Methodist Church in Oxford Mills and the Community Church of Toronto. After his graduation from Cornell College, he attended Garrett Seminary in Evanston, Illinois and received his B.D. degree from there in 1957.

On November 27, 1958 he was united in marriage to Marjorie Clapp Prestridge in the Methodist Church in Oxford Junction. In 1959, they were transferred to the Methodist Churches in Chapin and Aredale, Iowa where they served until 1965 when they were transferred to the Methodist Churches in Somers and Farnhamville, Iowa.

They served there until 1966 when he entered the pastoral ministry in the Presbyterian Church.  For a short time they lived in Dubuque where he attended the Presbyterian seminary.   In January 1967 they moved to Lee County, Iowa where they begin their work in the Sharon, West Point and Mt. Hamill Presbyterian Churches. They continued their work there until February 1989 at which time he retired and then moved to the Masonic Village in Bettendorf.

Since his retirement he served as interim or supply pastor of churches in the area including Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church, Bettendorf Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire, Iowa and First Presbyterian Church of Davenport, Iowa.

He was a member of Hamilton Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Bettendorf.  He had become a Mason in Zealous Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Oxford Junction and had been member of Mt. Mariah Lodge A.F. & A.M.in Farmington for many years.

He had served as Worshipful Master of that lodge and served as Grand Chaplain and Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, having been elected to the fraternity while he was a student at Cornell College.

Those left honor his memories include his wife, Marjorie; many nieces and nephews; his sisters-in-law, Dorothy Nabb, Pat Clapp and Joan Clapp; and other close relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant daughter; his sisters Doris Hoel and Shirley Rawson; and several brothers-in-law.