Anna Marie Harding

1978 - 2023

Anna Marie Harding, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend, passed away at age 44 on Monday, May 15, 2023 at home in American Fork, Utah due to deteriorating health conditions she had long battled. Anna was born September 24, 1978 in Provo, Utah to John Bruce Harding and Orva Marie Gillen Harding. She was the 7th of 9 children and, after her father had passed away when she was age 10, Anna was blessed to have a bonus dad, Richard Vincent, come into her life when her mother later remarried. She enjoyed early childhood in Orem, Utah and then the rest of her growing up years in Lindon, Utah.

Anna's siblings are: Matt (Jayne) Harding, Michael Harding (deceased), Dan (Lori) Harding, Holly Wall, Ryan (Tamie) Harding, John (Misty) Harding, Mark (Laura) Harding, and Charese (Chad) Johansen.

Anna attended elementary schools in Orem, first at American Heritage for Kindergarten, then Spencer School for 1st and 2nd grade. 3rd grade found her at the newly built Suncrest Elementary around the corner from home where she continued through 6th grade. She went on to Orem Junior High and then Mountain View High School where she graduated at the end of the school year in 1996.

She went on to attend Utah Valley State College (now UVU) for a couple of years studying Criminal Justice and Criminal Law which was of interest to her.

She had many treasured friendships throughout her life and had a heart filled with love and kindness that came through in every area of her life.

Anna worked for several years in the food industry as a manager at Wendy's in American Fork, luckily with one of her treasured friends, Sarah (Patient Hoefer) who also became her roommate. Later Anna was manager at the UVSC Wendy's where she hired Sarah's sister. After that, she was a manager at Little Caesars. She also had opportunity to work for her brother, Dan, at his autobody shop, Lindon Collision.

To say that Anna enjoyed sports and the outdoors would be an incredible understatement. She loved to play anything she could get signed up for with a passion. Early on, she had fun with soccer, but found a love for baseball that turned into softball - which she was good at. She played on the ward Young Women's team as well as city teams and was a good switch hitter and pitcher. (If she ever talked you into catching for her, your mitt better have been padded well.)

She didn't stop there and enjoyed basketball, both as a player and a fan. She could cruise on her roller blades, or on the ski slopes. She waterskied, and watercrafted. And even as a kid, wouldn't be left behind as a Harding Water-fighter – yes, that is a sport for us Harding's...

Probably one of her all-time favorite things was trekking to Moab with her red jeep - or her truck before that. (Is that a sport, or just great outdoors fun? I'm not sure which way Anna thought of it...) She enjoyed the beauty of the earth from mountains to deserts and skies to shorelines. She loved the ocean and life wherever she found it.

She loved animals of all kinds from kittens to pigs. And horses and cows to dolphins and whales. She was tender with animals and they loved her back. And in her last years, the grace and support of her dog, Tillie, who adopted Anna, was a premier example of that love.

That same tenderness was reflected in how she cared for children – especially her nieces and nephews. She was close to many of them and had love for all. She loved her family and friends and wished she could do more to show that as her health began to prevent her from doing so.

Anna had a focus on her family and loved ones. She also had a love for the Savior and the gospel. As her health declined and Mom made a place for her in her home one of her greatest desires was to be able to attend the temple for herself and make and keep those sacred covenants. She had knowledge of the Savior and a witness of the surety the gospel and the promises of eternity. She loved her forever family and on April 3rd, 2014 was able to receive her temple endowment and take further steps on her covenant path back to her Father-In-Heaven.

This had significant meaning for her and she would often find small ways to share her trusting faith. She would speak of it as a given - accepting it being as real as gravity and breathing – because, that is how it is... Heavenly Father, His Son, and His plan for all of us to return back to the family was, and is, an absolute reality for her.

Anna, unfortunately, knew too well the meaning of long-suffering. Her illnesses began at age 16 and never really left her for the next 28-years until her passing. She was a "toughy" and bravely endured what life threw at her, complaining little, and smiling through it all - doing "the best she could." Her example of love, tenderness, faith, strength of spirit, and cheerful endurance are powerful lessons for all.

Dear Anna, you are loved by your family and friends and will be cherished and missed. Thank you for sharing your life with us. We look forward to being together with you again. May we learn from you and your kind example in each of our own lives.

God bless!

A Graveside Service for Anna Marie Harding will be held at the Provo Cemetery on Wednesday, May 24th, 2023, at 2:30 PM. (Address below.) Please be prepared to stand or bring your own chair or blanket for the short 30–45-minute program that will be held there.

Provo Cemetery

610 S State St, Provo, UT 84606

(The graveside service will be directly South and West of the Office and Workshop on the 600 South side of the cemetery. (Look for our canopy and service setup.)

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family online at www.walkersanderson.com.