Lula Mae “Luge” Hardman

   A native Arkansan, Luge Hardman moved to Waynesville in 1971 to teach history.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Henderson State University in Arkansas and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Central Missouri.  She taught American history for the Waynesville R-VI School District and retired after 30 years in 2001.  She was an adjunct professor for over 20 years for Drury University, retiring in 2015.

      Volunteering for many years on committees and organizations with the City of Waynesville, in 2003, Mrs. Hardman was elected to the Waynesville City Council and began an interest in municipal government.   In 2012 and 2016, Mrs. Hardman was elected to two four-year terms as mayor of Waynesville and worked to improve the quality of life in the city. 

     Mrs. Hardman chose not to seek a third term in 2020 and has retired to run “Grandma Camp”, write, and travel.  She recently published two autobiographical books: “Small-Town Mayor:  Political Adventures in the Ozarks,” and “Life After Loss:  Adjusting to a New Reality.”  In 2022 she was awarded the Ella Dickey Literacy Medal and a Third-Place award in the Missouri Writers Guild’s “Show-Me Your Best” category for “Small-Town Mayor.”

      In 2020 she was appointed by the Governor to the Missouri Route 66 Centennial Commission and serves as a board member of the Missouri Route 66 Association.  She is a member of the Roubidoux Writers Society and the Missouri Writers Guild.

    Married to the late Paul Hardman for 42 years, the couple has two children:  a daughter, Ryann, who lives in Denver, and a son, Trey, who lives in Harrison, AR.  They boast seven grandchildren.