Ardus John Ward

 

Ardus John Ward
Ardus John Ward

Ardus John Ward, 100, went peacefully to be with the Lord on October 28th, 2021.

Graveside services will be at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, October 30, 2021, at Llano Cemetery. Memorial services will be at Noon, Saturday, October 30, 2021, in the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Ardus was one of six children born to Pearl and Melvin Ward, on August 12, 1921, in Malta, Idaho.  He spent his early years farming with his family in Idaho and later joined the service as a member of the Army Air Corps.  He was a WWII veteran, and forever proud to have served his country.  It was at a military photo shoot, in Lubbock, Texas, that a young lady caught his eye and they danced the night away.  He and Mary Etta were married on February 1, 1946, in Malta, Idaho.  They lived in several small farming communities in west Texas, eventually ending up in Amarillo, where they raised their three boys.  Ardus worked in the accounting department for Energas, until his retirement.

Ardus enjoyed taking fishing trips to the mountains with his sons, and square dancing with his beautiful bride.  Ardus and Mary Etta were members of the Top Hatters formal dance club and the Starlighters semi-formal dance club.  His lifelong love for singing and dancing was evident to everyone who knew him.  Ardus also loved Texas Tech baseball, and rarely missed a game.  He was also rarely seen without his Tech fleece jacket!

Ardus adored his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren were the light of his life.  He looked forward to any opportunity for the whole family to get together, and even recently attempted Facetiming, in order to keep in touch with loved ones.  Ardus was honored when so many loved ones surprised him with a birthday party to celebrate his 100th year of life on Earth!  Ardus was one of the last remaining WWII veterans and witnessed more advances in technology than most will in a lifetime.  He lived a rich and full life, and his memory will live on.

Ardus danced into heaven to be reunited with his best dance partner and bride of 64 years, Mary Etta, their sons, Billy and Terry, and one great-granddaughter, Kennedy Lynn.

Left to cherish his memory are his son, Gary and wife Shana, and daughter-in-law, Sheryl.  His seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren have been forever blessed by their “Pappy”.

2 Replies to “Ardus John Ward”

  1. Sheryl and Gary… there are no words.
    All I can say is…enough!! You guys need a break from all of this. Praying for Sheryl still over Billy and then i meet Gary, he’s so sweet and seems to be holding things together pretty good. Losing your brother and then your father…..that’s a lot. You, your wife and Sheryl just know Rick ans I are here for ALL of you. We are still praying.

  2. Sheryl and Elissa, we are saddened to hear of Ardus passing away. He was certainly a man of honor and made the world a better place.
    May he Rest In Peace. We are thinking of your families at this time.
    Katie and Rick McLemore

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *