Benita Lavone Enfield was born December 8, 1939, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to parents Bennett and Lavone (Goettel) Enfield. Nita's family moved to El Reno, Oklahoma, where Nita grew up. As a child she started piano lessons at age 7 and developed her lifelong love for music. Also, through her relationship with her dad, she fell in love with tennis and became very competitive. As a teenager she won her age bracket in the state of Oklahoma.

Nita met Dave at youth camp in Oklahoma as a teenager. They got reacquainted at Oklahoma State University where Nita was enrolled in a business degree and Dave was finishing his engineering degree. Soon, Nita married David E. Harder on January 24,1959, in El Reno. She worked for legal services for the U.S. government.

While living in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Nita and Dave announced the birth of their son, Travis J. Harder. The family of three moved to Odessa, Texas, in 1961. Soon after, they moved to Shidler, Oklahoma, where in 1963 their second son, Keith E. Harder, was born in Fairfax. Work assignments continued to change for Dave, and the family moved to Cortez, Colorado, in 1966, and El Dorado, Arkansas, in 1969. While in El Dorado, Nita attended Southern Arkansas University and obtained her teaching degree. While at SAU she lettered in tennis three times as a 29-31year old. She began teaching junior high PE in El Dorado. In 1975 Dave took a new job and the Harder family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, closer to Nita and Dave's parents where she taught junior high and eventually elementary school PE. Eventually the family moved to Jenks, Oklahoma, where they lived from 1980 until 2009.

All through these moves Nita and Dave were very active in the church now called Community of Christ where Nita served as an Elder and met hundreds of people they still call friends. Her ministry focused particularly on youth. She fed, entertained, taught the love of the scriptures, and recruited (and often paid for) over 2,000 kids to attend youth camp and Spectacular (an annual national youth sports, arts, and leadership camp at Graceland University in Iowa) that she served on the staff of for over 25 years.

In addition to her devotion to kids and her love of her church, Nita ministered to youth for 32 years in her chosen vocation as a PE teacher. Along with that, she taught swim and tennis lessons to hundreds of kids. She loved telling everyone that in addition to teaching PE she also taught up to 25 piano lessons each week. Her piano students and anyone who stopped by their home was always well fed with chips, cookies, candy, and an endless supply of pop. You never went away hungry. Nita used her amazing piano skills to accompany numerous weddings, funerals, and parties, and could play anything by ear in any key required.

After Nita and Dave retired, they couldn't wait to move closer to Nita's pride and joy, her five grandkids. Nita was the best press agent for them and her boys, constantly boasting about all they had been doing. Nothing made her happier than time with her family, so they packed up and left their beloved Oklahoma and moved to St. Charles, Missouri, in 2009. They continued to be active in youth work and kept connected with countless friends through long phone calls and social media. She loved each and every one of her friends like they were her own and couldn't wait to share news of good things going on in their lives. She lived her faith daily and brightened every room she entered with her smile, laugher, and loving hugs. She will be missed by so many but her love will live on through each one.

Nita went to be with the Lord on October 16, 2022, after waiting for a final visit from her grandchildren and close family friends. Nita is survived by her husband Dave of 62 ½ years, sons and daughters-in-love, Travis (Julie) and Keith (Debbie). Her beloved grandchildren Cameron (Katelyn) and Hannah and triplets Logan, Lacey, and Laura. Her sister Kay (Keith) Morris, brother-in-law Dan (the late Jane Harder) Watkins, sister-in-law Susan (Harder) Gist, 5 nieces, 2 nephews, many great nieces and nephews, and hundreds of others she treated like family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Nita's name may be made to Spectacular to support camperships for kids to attend Spec.

Spectacular,c/o Community of Christ,1001 W. Walnut St., Independence, MO 64055

Two memorial services will be held to celebrate the life of this amazing lady.

The first is:

Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

Kirkwood Community of Christ 830 N. Kirkwood Rd

Kirkwood, MO 63122

And a second service will be:

Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

Tulsa Central Community of Christ

4811 S. Fulton Ave.

Tulsa, OK 74135