October 27, 1926 - October 9, 2021

Mr. Harvey Wardius, 94, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma passed away Saturday, October 9, 2021 in Oklahoma City. He was born October 27, 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Edwin and Agnes (Meyer) Wardius. He enjoyed gardening, landscaping, hunting, fishing, target shooting, and building things. He was a member of the American Legion Alley-White Post 52, Masonic Lodge No. 38 in Norman, Oklahoma, Tacoma Scottish Rite, NRA, Fleet Reserve, and Twin Lakes Gun Club.

Harvey married Annie L. Hamman in Gainesville, Texas. During their marriage they lived in Norman, Oklahoma; Portland, Oregon; Sand Diego and San Francisco, California; Lynnwood, Blaine, and Lakebay, Washington; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Kalispell, Montana, and Oro Valley, Arizona. They moved from Oro Valley to Mountain Home in 2005.

Harvey served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received when a Kamikaze crashed into his ship, the USS Halsey Powel DD686. He also served during the Korean War, was on recruiting duty during Vietnam, and served in the Navy from 1943 until he retired in June 1966 as a Chief Petty Officer.

After retirement, he went on to work for the U.S. Customs Service as an Inspector in Seattle, Washington, Supervisor Inspector in Pre-Clearance in Vancouver, Supervisor Inspector in Blaine, Operations Officer at the Regional in San Francisco, and became Chief Inspector in Blaine. During his career in the Customs Service, he was on loan to the State Department and was a member of the Presidents Cabinet Committee for International Narcotic Control. In this position, he got to travel to many foreign countries including Quito, Ecuador, Sofia, Varna, and Bulgaria. He received the Customs Service's highest award the ''Commissioner Citation'' for his work in this program. He retired from the Customs Service in June 1981 and traveled extensively with his wife throughout the U.S. and abroad. They worked nine summers at the Hamilton Stores in Yellowstone National Park. The last four summers he was the store manager at the Canyon Village and Grant village stores. In January of 2017, he moved The Fountains of Canterbury in Oklahoma City.

Harvey is survived by daughter: Sharyn A. Kremer of Edmond, Oklahoma; 3 sons: Stephen P. Wardius of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Christopher D. Wardius of Yamhill, Oregon, and Kirk T. Wardius of Portland, Oregon; seven grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, loving wife, brother Harold Wardius, and grandson Jon, who passed away at the early age of 37.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, October 22, 2021 at Roller Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Baxter Memorial Gardens.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller Funeral Home
Highway 5 North
Mountain Home, AR  72654
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com