CARUTHERS, Calif. – Paul and Mary Hardin were missionaries from Texas who were killed by a drunk driver on Saturday. On Wednesday, a funeral service was held for them at the church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints in Caruthers.
These two people had just moved to the Central Valley at the start of the year and were looking forward to their new life there. But on Saturday, their happiness was taken away.
A lot of people came to the church on Wednesday to remember the couple.
When Mary’s sister Amy Lott heard the news, she and her family dropped everything and flew out.
“This is really, really hard,” Lott said. “They were the most loving and close-knit family.”
The couple has 11 children and 23 grandkids, so they leave behind a big family.
It was their son Enoch Hardin who was the first to hear the news that his parents had died. He had to tell his brothers.
Enoch Hardin said, “It was hard because of how close we are and the kind of love we share. It was more of a weight on my shoulders to share that pain and handle the other emotions.”
It’s only been hours since David Alvarado, the man accused of killing the couple, made his first court appearance.
Alvarado has been found guilty of drunk driving six times in the last 30 years.
The Hardin family lives out of state, so the judge let them speak to the court during the arraignment meeting on Wednesday.
Each one talks about how their family has been broken up.
The defendant must be kept away from booze and cars for the rest of his natural life, as long as he can drink and drive. This was said by Anon Striker with the Hardin Family.
The Hardin children say they will always be sad about the deaths of their parents.
In the meantime, Alvarado’s next court date is set for June.