Mozel Harden

Mozel Harden, aka Mose, was born to Sandy and Annie (Hodges) Harden, on March 11, 1928, in Bastrop, Texas.  He lived a prosperous, active, and fulfilled life for the 94 years he was on this earth before joining that great cloud of witnesses.  Mozel began his journey trusting in God at an early age and attended the Community Methodist Church at Magdalene located on the old T.C. “Buck” Steiner Ranch.   Later in his adult life, Mozel confessed and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Mozel first attended the one-room school on the Steiner Ranch Prairies across from the Magdalene Cemetery located on the T.C. “Buck” Steiner Ranch. When the Harden family relocated to their homestead on Highway 95 in the 1940s, he attended schools in the Elgin school district and completed 9th grad. He began working as a sharecropper with his family.

During the years 1944 to 1953, Mozel worked as a lumber delivery driver for Charlie Woods in Bastrop, Texas.  Mozel applied for and received a commercial driving position with the Davidson Sash & Door Company in Austin, Texas.  His job there included delivering lumber throughout the southern states during time of segregation which at times proved to be challenging.  After working with the Davidson Sash & Door Co from 1953 to 1989 as a delivery driver, he retired as a shop foreman. As the shop foreman Mozel was responsible for overseeing staff who built custom commercial and residential aluminum storm windows, doors, and screens. He loved working in the wood mill department where he used his God-given gift of carpentry. With the additional skills he mastered on the job, he was able to build his first home in Elgin, Texas and a second home in Austin, Texas. He had a passion for building different types of structures such as barns, chicken coops, and outhouses for family and neighbors in Bastrop and the surrounding communities.

Mozel and his wife Ruth enjoyed farming, raising cattle, and gardening, selling produce, and blessing those in need with fresh vegetables.  In his pastime, Mozel loved watching cooking shows, drag racing, football, basketball, baseball, wrestling and golf. One could always hook Mozel up with a good game of pool, using his personal stick.

Mozel was united to Ruth Reese – his loving, caring and devoted wife in 1960, who was by his side for 62 years – until he took his final breath on Sunday, July 31, 2022.

From his marriage to Ruth (Bastrop, Texas), three sons were born: Artie “Slick” Harden (deceased), Eric (Cheryl) Harden (Bastrop, Texas), and Andrew “Shorty” (Sherrie) Harden (Buda, Texas).  His priceless legacy shall be cherished by four children from his first marriage: Jerline Harden (Austin, Texas), Clarence (Patricia) Harden (Houston, Texas), and Cecil (Marilyn) Harden (Austin, Texas). His youngest daughter, Thelma Fowler, preceded him in death.

In addition to his two children, Mozel was preceded in death by three brothers - Walter Harden (Bastrop, Texas), Howard Harden (Bastrop, Texas), and Rudell Harden (California); two sisters - Earthlene Wilson (Austin, Texas) and Elnora Collins (Elgin, Texas), maternal grandparents Andrew Hodges and Martha (Perkins) Hodges and paternal grandparents Alec Harden and Tina Morgan.

Mozel legacy shall live on in the hearts of his grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, covering four generations, and his extended family, and a host of other relatives, and friends.

Mozel Harden, 94, of Elgin, passed away Sunday evening, July 31, 2022, surrounded by his family.  He will lie in state at Elgin Funeral Home Friday, August 5th from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM.  A Home-Going Celebration will be conducted at the First Baptist Church of Elgin, under the auspices of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Elgin, Saturday, August 6th at 10:00 AM with Reverend R.W. Carter presiding.  Interment will follow at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Sayers, Texas.