Blaine Hardacre

Blaine Hardacre really liked to visit with people. His goodbyes took time and included his affirmation of love.

At the age of 90, Blaine Hardacre, of Lanark, IL passed into the arms of God on Monday, October 17, 2022 at Winn Prairie Assisted Living Community in Freeport. A funeral service will be held 11 am Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Crossroads Community Church in Polo, IL, followed by a luncheon. Private family burial will be in the Lanark Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 – 7 pm Thursday, October 27, 2022, at the Church. Memorials may be given in Blaine’s honor to benefit FHN Hospice, Gideons and Newmoms.org.

Blaine was born February 3, 1932, Lima Township rural Lanark, on a family farm, the son of Nello Joseph and Hazel Esther (Turner) Hardacre. At an early age he learned to be resourceful, working alongside his dad and mom on the farm. He attended the Good Country School and is a 1950 Lanark High School graduate, where he played football and track and showed cattle with the FFA. It was at the Lanark High School where Blaine began a relationship with his future bride, Elinor Jean Isenberger.

On December 11, 1954, Blaine and Elinor were married, just before Blaine went off to boot camp. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1957 as a guided-missile specialist, spending time in Texas, Maryland and Woodbridge, Virginia where Elinor joined him. After his service, they returned with a son to farm near Lanark. That is when Blaine and Elinor, bought and resurrected the old Gold-Mine Farm. They raised four children and celebrated 67 years of marriage. Blaine would reflect, “I’ve been going up and down Grange Road all my life.”

Blaine was an innovative farmer in 1960, operating a large dairy herd utilizing new technology of the day. Twice he received the Conservation Farmer of the Year for his work on strip cropping and contouring. He retired from farming in 1990. He sold AFLAC insurance for several years and delivered the Freeport Journal Standard on an extensive rural route. Blaine then began working at Rolling Hills in Lanark as a model worker. He always encouraged his coworkers and was especially proud of the apple orchard he helped care for that served Rolling Hills.

Blaine was an active member of the Crossroads Church. He was an enthusiastic Church greeter, making all feel welcome and important. He prayed daily and deeply for his family, friends, and acquaintances in his chosen spot in his home. “Dad loved God and was a wonderful Christian man, always praying for others.”

Blaine will be dearly missed by his wife, Elinor of Freeport; four children, Jeffrey (Gundi) Hardacre of Moline, IL, Amy (Rev. Lyle) Zumdahl of Forreston, Bryan (Kristine) Hardacre of Lanark and Mark (Karen) Hardacre Commerce City, CO; 12 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. Blaine is preceded in death by 2 brothers, Joe Bowers and Delbert Hardacre; a sister, Thelma Hardacre Glaub; and a baby sister, Ruth Hardacre.