By Mike Donahue
Moapa Valley Progress

Glen Hardy celebrates his 80th birthday with a slice of birthday cake. Photo by Mike Donahue

In 1940, 9-year-old Glen Hardy moved to Moapa Valley with his family from tiny Bunkerville and entered 4th grade in the Logandale Elementary School on Moapa Valley Boulevard.

It was a big move for the family. Mom, who had lost her husband two years before, had just received her teaching certificate from the University of Nevada Reno. Although she expected to teach near home in Bunkerville, the school district said, “No, the only teaching job we have open is in Logandale. You’ll have to move there.”

So Logandale it was. But that was okay for Glen.

Like any young boy he was excited about the new town, the new school and all the possibilities for the future. Little did he know that the move to Logandale more than seven decades ago would be the beginning of a lifelong love affair that continues today with the people, the places and the potential of everything that in 2011 means Moapa Valley.

Saturday evening more than 200 family members, friends and a host of others showed Glen that love, caring and appreciation is a two-way street when they turned out to wish the Moapa Valley icon a happy 80th birthday.

Although Glen said he has seen more changes in this area than he can possible remember or put a name to, he was thrilled that his party Saturday was in the same building responsible for his relocation so many years go. As a matter of fact, when Glen started school in Logandale kids ate lunch on the stage in the school gym. For Glen’s celebration, the crowd of well-wishers ate barbecue and birthday cake at tables set up on the floor of the gym. In one corner the Nelson Family Band kept everyone entertained.

Glen said the biggest change he has seen in Moapa Valley is the loss of irrigation water for farming.

“At one time this whole valley was lush with crops,” he said. “Then through the years a lot of the farmers sold off their water and today there’s a lot of brown — brown fields — where there used to be green.”

Glen said he has spent almost his entire life in Moapa Valley and couldn’t be happier.

He is a former Army helicopter pilot who flew in Korea. He has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Nevada Reno and a Masters from Utah State University. He was an agriculture teacher in Moapa Valley for 30 years until he retired from the Clark County School District in 1985.

Many of those wishing Glen a happy birthday Saturday were not only former students, but also the kids of former students who were also former students.

Glen married his wife Shirley in 1957 while he was still in uniform. He gives a lot of credit to Shirley for his 80 years — and the fact that he works every day.

“The secret to a long life is to go to work every day,” Glen said. “Enjoy what you do, I do. I loved teaching and I love farming. Everybody doesn’t get to say that.”

Glen and Shirley are the parents of three — sons Jim, 52 and Stan, 51, and daughter Carol 48 – grandparents to 14 and great grandparents to 5.