REDVERS - Ray and Marceline Hardy are longtime residents of the Redvers area and still live on their home quarter just northeast of the town.
They are well known in the area, both for raising show horses and for Marceline’s talented work as a seamstress.
The Hardys have been married 56 years and raised three children, Jocelyne, Annette and Ryan. While their first grandchild was a boy, the next and final eight in a row were girls. They also have five great grandchildren.
Ray’s father emigrated from Belgium in 1923 and homesteaded just south of Redvers. Ray and Marceline had a mixed farming operation with Hereford, Simmental and Charolais cattle. They still own three quarters of land which, in 2023, will be farmed by their grandson Dustin Holden.
When he was nine years old, Ray welcomed a new pony to his world and named her Beauty. As a boy he and Beauty travelled to many local fairs as did his daughters decades later showcasing their own horses at 4-H events. The Hardys have always raised horses on the farm and in the early 1980s started attending horse shows themselves.
Their stock of Belgian horses has won countless awards over the years. They have attended shows in Weyburn, Moose Jaw and many other towns in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Hardys regularly competed at both Buffalo Days and Agribition in Regina.
The Hardy horses were well known throughout Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. Their residence is adorned with dozens and dozens of trophies and ribbons, which are proudly displayed throughout.
Said Ray, “We just loved attending horse shows and we were on the road weekend after weekend. We met a lot of people along the way and made a lot of lifelong friends.”
Both Ray, 81, and Marceline, 75, are relatively healthy and both are cancer survivors. Unfortunately, due to age they have had to retire from the horse show circuit and now only have a pair left on the farm. Periodically, they still take them out for a buggy ride. Magic is 15 and Patty is 16.
Marceline began sewing when she was 10 years old. She was self-taught from her mother and began sewing and doing alterations for neighbors back in the early 1970s. She has been employed with Ken King, the owner of King’s Department Store, since 1983 and many have worn clothing sewn by her.
Said Marceline, “I really enjoy sewing and find it extremely relaxing. Working with Ken all of these years has been great, and I have no desire to retire from my sewing work.”
Ken King provided a heart-warming assessment of Marceline and her talents. “We have been truly blessed by the opportunity to work with Marceline since the mid-1980s when we had a store in Redvers. She is as loyal and dedicated to her craft and her customers as we wish to be to ours.
“She is not only incredibly skilled when it comes to working with fabrics and challenges, but she is excited for the opportunity. Since moving to Carlyle we have transported product in blue bins with a local courier. Marceline makes no bones about the fact that she gets excited to see the blue tub arrive in Redvers every day. How many people can say that about the work that they do?
“It is exciting for us, and your passion clearly shows. Marceline treats every customer and their needs with the utmost respect. We would not be what we are today without her on our team.”
As they enter their twilight years, Ray and Marceline remain very active with their large family and many friends. Every Sunday, Marceline visits her mother, 102-year-old Marguerite Perreaux, at the Redvers Centennial Haven for a game of Scrabble. She loves jigsaw puzzles, and they both enjoy playing cards and watching curling and rodeos on TV.
Concluded Ray, “Marceline and I have had a great life. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
