On February 19, 2016, at 8:00 AM CST, the heart, which had faithfully performed so well for 102 years needed a rest, giving the hard-working farm girl, Alma Grace Swick Harshbarger some peace. She died of natural causes at her home of 76 years, south of Arcola.

The family has planned a visitation for Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Shrader Funeral Home, 204 N. Locust Street, Arcola. The funeral service will be conducted Friday, February 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM at Shrader Funeral Home with Rev. Don Winch officiating, formerly of the Arcola Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow in the Arcola Township Cemetery, Douglas County.

Alma Grace Swick Harashbarger was born on October 6, 1913 on a farm south of Galton. She was the oldest of four sisters born to Earl D. Swick and Ida May Ammen Swick. Her sisters were Miranda Elizabeth "Annabel" Swick Davis, Francis May Swick Polk, and Mary Margaret Swick Samson.

Alma married Charles Edward Harshbarger, Sr. on June 1, 1938 at the Arcola Christian Church. She traveled with him to a dairy farm south of San Luis Obispo, California, where they stayed for a year before returning to Illinois to farm for themselves. In 1940 she and Charles moved into the home of Henry Moore on the farm south of Arcola across the corner from the Harshbarger farm. Eventually they bought the Moore farm which became her permanent location for the rest of her life.

The Harshbarger children were: Dr. Charles Edward Harshbarger, Jr. born in 1940, deceased in 2013, married to Lianne Allen, the daughter of Dr. E.S. Allen of Arcola, and then to Mehrangiz "Mary" Khanizadeh of Virginia; William Roger Harshbarger, born in 1942, living in Arcola, married to Nora Lynne Bacheldor; and Robert Swick Harshbarger, born in 1944, living in Lithia Springs, Georgia, married to Vicki Olsen. Alma's husband, Charles, died in 1991 at age 78. She leaves two children, nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; including Emma, who was born one hundred years and one month after Alma.

Alma started school at age six at a one-room country school west of Galton. During the Great Depression, she attended Arcola High School from 1926-1931, taking advantage of a fifth-year offered by the school to recent graduates. During high school, she was president of the Glee Club, secretary of the Girls' Athletic Association, and ws captain of the championship girls' basketball team, which was co-champion with Atwood in 1930. She was also in the cast of the Junior Class Play. Alma displayed her budding artistic talents by illustrating the 1930 school annual "Torch" with remarkable, hand-drawn silhouettes. She graduated as an honor student and was a classmate of Frances Holterman, Ruby Kruger, Bill Herrington, Clarence Miller, Roberta Roberts (Bromley), Fred Shrader, and Cecil Edgar (father of former Illinois governor, Jim Edgar).

Alma's artistic skill was evident throughout her life and displayed in many ways, including hand-stitched quilts, buckeye necklaces, the creation of flower arrangements made from harvest-time corn husks that were gathered while she waited on the tractor in the field.

Memorials are suggested to the Arcola Public Library or donor's choice.

Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.hilligossshraderfh.com.