LEBANON, Ind. – Russell Hardin, who turned 100 years old July 30, grew up on a farm north of Knightstown, Ind. He had dreams of becoming a veterinarian but didn’t know how to make that happen during a time when family finances were extremely tight. Then the Army entered the picture, drafting him for service during World War II.

At the time, Hardin was six hours shy of graduating from Purdue University with a degree in animal sciences. After basic training, he was stationed at a base in Texas when he had an opportunity to achieve his dream. During the war, Congress passed legislation seeking to fill a need for veterinarians, doctors and dentists.

“I was told I qualified for a scholarship to go to Kansas State University to study to be a veterinarian,” he explained. “I was very fortunate. We did not have the money (for veterinary school). I had to wait a year for my brother to graduate from Purdue so I could go.”

Hardin decided to serve despite being from a family of Quakers, a religion whose members do not believe in going into military service. “I thought it was my American duty (to serve),” he noted. “As it worked out, it was beautiful. I would never have had the chance to be a veterinarian.”

While at KSU, he was a guard on the school’s football team. He served as a captain in 1945. He was a good enough player that he received a telegram from the Detroit Lions offering him $300 a game to play professional football after college.

“My interest was to be a veterinarian,” Hardin stated. “I forgot the football. After graduation (in 1946), I moved to Lebanon and set up my veterinary practice.”

A college professor had suggested he meet the local veterinarian in town and get acquainted. That didn’t go as Hardin had hoped. “I asked if I could ride along with him. He said, ‘there’s no place for you in this town.’ The next day, I put out my own shingle. It wasn’t long before I got some of his clients.”

Hardin and his wife, Peg, had two children – Judy, who lives in Texas, and Ed, who resides in Ohio. Peg died in 2000.

Russell was a veterinarian in Lebanon for 40 years. “It was always a challenge. There was always something new coming. You sometimes had to do a lot of guessing (when diagnosing an animal).”

Ed Hardin said his father had a passion for the animals and for being a veterinarian.

“He felt it was his job when an animal got sick, he should make it well. He was also able to make the owner of that animal feel good. He was very good with the animals. He would go that extra mile. If he was called out on Friday morning, he was out the next morning to check on them.”

Russell’s desire to be a veterinarian can be traced back to his time growing up on his family’s 200-acre farm. “We had a local veterinarian. When we had a sick horse or a sick cow, he would come out. I was enthused to watch what he did. He was good and he was kind.”

Hardin grew up on the same land farmed by his father and grandfather. The family had dairy cows, beef cattle and some hogs, and also grew corn, oats, wheat and tomatoes.

“Our main income during the Depression came from milking cows every morning and every night,” he said. “My father gave me 5 acres of tomatoes which I used to get money to go to college. I also spent 4-5 months in Florida helping my uncle raise celery so I could go to college.”

Much of the farm work was done using teams of horses. Hardin had a team, as did his father and his brother. Russell’s team was two Belgian horses named Queen and Bess.

“The Belgians were intimidating. When I was old enough, I could put their harnesses and collars on. I had to be careful.”

Hardin recently sold his 5,000 hogs but still raises corn and soybeans. He’s seen many changes in farming over his lifetime.

“The biggest change is the use of implements such as the threshing machine, tractors, combines and 12-row planters. When I was a growing up, we planted with horses.”

A Sunday school teacher taught him a lesson he remembers today.  “Eat right, drink right and be right with Jesus. That worked out beautifully. I’ve been blessed by the good Lord.”