Lavern Enita Harden passed away at her home in Horntown, Oklahoma on Sunday, July 7, 2024, at the age of 93 years.

Lavern was the daughter of Tillman & Retha (Bain) Tollett, born on July 19, 1930 in the Rock Creek community of Hughes County, Oklahoma. She was brought up in Rock Creek and attended Lizard Loaf and Gerty schools. She was married to Bill C. Harden on June 28, 1947, in Holdenville, Oklahoma. They moved to Bakersfield, California, where they spent thirteen years before returning to Oklahoma. They settled in the Horntown/Calvin area, their home for more than sixty-four years. Lavern worked eighteen years at Seamprufe in Holdenville, and seven years at Horn Corner Café in Horntown. She was a creative and capable lady of many talents. She loved to sew and was an excellent seamstress and upholsterer. She wrote beautiful poetry, cooked delicious meals, and was quite possibly the best cattle woman in the State. She was of the Free Will Baptist faith.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Tillman & Retha Tollett; her husband of fifty-four years, Bill C. Harden; her infant son just short of his first birthday, Euliss Harden; her sister, Vinita Sneed.

She is survived by three children: daughter Carolyn Sanders (Tommy) of Allen, and sons Malcolm Harden (Kay) of Holdenville, and Phil Harden (Bonnie) of Konawa; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren; eight siblings: Helen Sanford, Clem Tollett, Aligene Dotson, Gail Webber, Lynn Tollett, Janice Cross, Delton Tollett, and Rolana Nickell; nieces and nephews, other family members, and many friends; and also her caregivers with Traditions Hospice, Shelby Monday and Marlene Pembrook, to whom the family would like to express a special Thank You.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, July 11, 2024,10:30am at Fisher Funeral Home-Lillye Chapel and Lavern was laid to rest at Holdenville Cemetery, with Rev. Noel Sneed officiating. Pallbearers were Brandon Harden, David Harden, Greg Harden, Jeremy Harden, Orion Pointer, and Billy Monday. Honorary pallbearers were Steve Monday, Cody Goodrich, and Jerry Tynes.