She lives.
Those two words are the only two words needed to properly describe a young lady named Alishah Hardway. Just meet her and it’s the first thing you’ll notice about her. She lives.
And she likes living.
Hardway is a preacher’s wife, one could say, and hey, her husband, Kenny, is the Senior Minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Wheeling. The couple is raising two sons, Noah and Jonah, and the Hardways have adopted their community in a number of different ways. They attend as many local events as possible, they volunteer for a plethora of non-profits, and their social media platforms are full of promotion for reverse raffles, featured friends, favorite events, and, of course, their pair of young men.
It’s Alishah, though, we wonder about. Does she ever tire of the perpetual motion? Do her cheeks hurt? Ever? How many pairs of shoes does she wear out per month? And how in the world does the woman know the words to every – it seems – song sung?
It’s Hardway’s kind heart that’s admired most by most, and while she navigates her position as a funeral director for Altmeyer Funeral Home, she somehow absorbs sadness and returns an appreciation for a family’s lost loved one she’d never met before. Some call it a superpower or a magic trick.
We can call it Hardway’s gift.
When you were growing up in Marshall County, did you believe you would raise your children here in the Upper Ohio Valley?
Having spent my early years (birth to 2nd grade) in Nicholas County, W.Va., I always thought I would return there. Our family moved to Marshall County in 1992 when my dad began working for Ohio Valley Coal Company.
As a youth, I always thought I would go back “home” to Nicholas County and settle with a family. It was my senior year at John Marshall High School that I began to think differently. I learned that “home” was here in the Upper Ohio Valley. I wanted to get an education and plant roots right here.
After attending Marshall University, marrying my husband living in Henry County, Ky., then Logan, W.Va., all I wanted was to be back in the valley. This desire was charged by wanting my children to be close to extended family and wanting to live, thrive, and give back to the place I love.
Our children have received a fantastic public education in Ohio County Schools, and they have a vast amount of options for extracurricular activities and their grandparents have been able to be instrumental in their fragile, formative years.
If one has never left the Upper Ohio Valley to live for an extended amount of time, it’s easy to overlook the benefits that it offers. I cherish the memories of my journey and give great thanks it led me back home.
Why have you chosen a career as a funeral director with Altmeyer Funeral Homes?
Taking care of people has been instilled in me by my family and faith community. I firmly believe we all have a calling in our lives and I believe mine to be caring for others in their time of crisis and grief. My educational background is in healthcare, and I enjoyed a 15-year career in the healthcare industry.
Like many others, the pandemic opened my eyes to what I was doing. I felt as though I was being called to move into a new direction of caring for others. My husband and I were enjoying an evening with Gene and Candy Fahey and I shared this with them. Gene responded with, “What about being a funeral director?“
I was interested. After shadowing a licensed funeral director, I decided to take the leap understanding I would have a huge learning curve and a very long journey to earning my license. Every day I am given the opportunity to make a lasting impact on people. This is a new and exciting way to live into the calling for which I have been called (Ephesians 4:1-3).
I chose Altmeyer Funeral Homes because of the great care and dignity the firm gives to both the deceased and their families in a very intimate moment of their life. A family is only given one chance to say a final goodbye and it’s my job to make it perfect. The staff and management of Altmeyer Funeral Homes understand, too, that each family is drastically different and requires different levels of care.
Also, a personal benefit is that Altmeyer has 57 locations along the eastern part of the United States. This gives an opportunity for professional growth.
Why have you decided to get involved with so many community organizations?
The Upper Ohio Valley is a place I love and feel called and compelled to give of both my time and resources. By giving of oneself, we are fulfilling the Great Call of loving others as ourselves. As a child, I remember helping my grandma at church with bereavement meals, helping my mom make food gifts for coal miners and their families who were suffering from a mine layoff, my dad anonymously paying a bill or hiding cash for someone in need and the list goes on.
Moments like these were the examples of giving that I witnessed, and they are what I carry with me every time I speak out against injustice, volunteer my time to an organization and donate funds to an organization or cause. The Ohio Valley is fortunate to have organizations that care for the “least of these” and it is empowering to be part, no matter how big, of that.
Having lived in different communities, both in state and out of state, I value the amount of organizations in the Ohio Valley and how they work together to share resources, tangible items, education, different forms of support and, most importantly, love in our area.
Not every community is gifted with the amount of resources the Upper Ohio Valley has.
What is your favorite fairy tale?
The story of Beauty and the Beast is, by far, my favorite fairy tale. So much so that for my 30th birthday, my husband threw me a surprise party and had a Belle cake made for me as well as a crown. Yes, I cried.
My teen boys refuse to watch the movie with me anymore because I can’t help but say and sing every word. The story is such a beautiful one. Unlike other Disney Princesses who rely on the magical kiss of a prince, the Beast requires true love and that love eventually comes from Belle who was an independent, simple, regular young lady who valued kindness, education and family.
This story is rooted in the power of love. If we show, embody and share love, nothing is impossible. Love can transform even the scariest and ugliest of situations.
When you sing, what do you sing?
If you drop in at my mom and dad’s house on Glen Dale Heights, odds are music is playing. My mom and dad have speakers everywhere. Their sound system has a speaker in every room as well as outside on the breezeway and patio and in the garage.
I remember sneaking in and scaring mom countless times while she was singing and dancing while cleaning or doing laundry. The music was so loud she never heard my sister and I prowling behind her awaiting the perfect moment to scare her to death. Honestly, we still do it. This behavior in my formative years molded me to have a similar love of music.
When I want to just sing, I sing 90’s Country, knowing every word, thanks to mom and dad. I am a fool for Dolly, Kenny, Alabama, Sawyer Brown, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the list goes on.
Life is short, sing loud and enjoy the silly things in life.
