Dr. George Willis Hartman (1872-1965)

George Willis Hartman was Grandma Hartman's third child -- and third son.

(Photo: seated - Elizabeth
"Grandma" Hartman; standing (left to right) - Mary Elizabeth Hartman, Willis Hartman, George Willis Hartman, Jr., circa 1915)

Uncle Willis, as he was known to most family members, was born on June 6, 1872, to George and Elizabeth Hartman. When he entered the world, his older brothers Stewart and Rufus were ages 7 and 2.5, respectively.

In 1898, Uncle Willis graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. The commencement speech was published in The Hahnemann Monthly in June. The speaker commended the graduates for their chosen profession but reminded them that it would not be easy: "The cry of the weak and suffering, from disease or accident; of the helpless infant, of the old and decrepit, must be responded to at any cost." Of course, a physician would see some tough times, but it was a sad foreshadow of what would come in Uncle Willis' personal life.

One year later, on June 6, 1899, Willis married Mary E. Yeagy. The wedding announcement was in that day's edition of The Compiler (although there appears to have been an error as she is listed as "Marie Yeagy").

Mary and Uncle Willis had 6 children together. Sadly, four of the children died as infants. The two children who survived were Mary Elizabeth and George Willis, Jr.

Unfortunately, tragedy was no stranger to Uncle Willis. His wife Mary passed away on May 4, 1914, when she was 37 years old and one month shy of their 15th wedding anniversary.

On July 6, 1916, Willis married the head nurse of the Hartman Private Santiarium, Fanny C. Livingston. His brother Stewart conducted the ceremony.

Then, just 6 years after the death of his first wife, Uncle Willis faced another loss. At age 15, Willis, Jr. was "stricken with an illness which puzzled several specialists who labored vainly to save his life." He passed away on June 28, 1920.

Uncle Willis also lost his second wife to whom he had been married 34 years. Fanny died on July 13, 1950.

Obivously, Uncle Willis was not going to give up on love. He married Jean Thompson on September 13, 1951. She would be the one to outlive Willis -- by 6.5 years.

Willis and Mary's daughter Elizabeth lived until she was 71 years old. She married Theodore C. Seybold in 1946, when she was 43. They had no children, and therefore, the G. Willis Hartman line of the family ended with Elizabeth.

It was apparent that Uncle Willis got the longevity gene from his mother, Grandma Hartman. He lived until he was 92 years old! He passed away on November 4, 1965, and his obituary ran in The Gettysburg Times the following day.

Rufus A. Hartman Dies May 1, 1952

Rufus Allen Hartman was Grandma Hartman's second child.

Rufus was born on October 29, 1869, to George and Elizabeth Hartman. His brother Stewart was 4 years his senior.

In 1893, Rufus married Jennie Mehring. They had two children, Martha and Samuel. Jennie passed away on September 5, 1945.

Rufus died on May 1, 1952, at the age of 82. His obituary was on the front page of The Gettysburg Times two days later.

Rufus A. Hartman Marries Jennie E. Mehring February 2, 1893

At age 23, Rufus Hartman married Jennie Evelyn Mehring, 20, on February 2, 1893.

Rufus' younger brother Willis was a groomsman. His older brother Stewart was the officiant.

This wedding was an all day affair, with guests arriving at 10 AM and not leaving until 10 PM. The announcement and description of the event was in The Star and Sentinel on February 14, 1893.

J. Stewart Hartman Dies October 12, 1935

Jacob Stewart Hartman was Grandma Hartman's oldest son. She passed away less than 2 months before he did.

Stewart was born to George and Elizabeth Hartman on January 7, 1865, just 3 months before the Civil War would come to an end. He married Ella Margaret Flickinger on June 7, 1888. They had 12 children (two of whom died in infancy), making his the largest branch of the family.

Unfortunately, the matriarch of the J. Stewart Hartman family died on June 30, 1925. Stewart remarried on September 22, 1926, and his second wife was Emma Wolfinger.

On October 12, 1935, the Rev. J. Stewart Hartman stopped at a garage for routine car maintenance on his way home from the Frederick fair. He had a fatal stroke at the auto shop and died that night. The news of his death and obituary were on the front page of The Gettysburg Times the following evening.

Grandma Hartman Dies August 29, 1935

Maria Elizabeth Durboraw Hartman (aka Grandma Hartman) was born on June 18, 1842, and died on August 29, 1935. She was an amazing 93 years old.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband George W. Hartman and daughter Alice May (who passed away at the age of 6 years). Her son Jacob Stewart would die less than 2 months later, on October 12, 1935.

Grandma Hartman's obituary ran in the August 30, 1935 edition of The Gettysburg Times.

Grandma Hartman Celebrates Her 86th Birthday

In June 1928, Grandma Hartman's 86th birthday was such a big affair, there was an article about it in The Gettysburg Times.

The family reunion-birthday party was held at Uncle's Willis' summer home, the Boulders.

Harrisburg Telegraph Interviews 85 Year Old Grandma Hartman

If you ever wished you could talk to Grandma Hartman to learn a little bit firsthand about her life, you must read this article entitled Mrs. Hartman at 85 Gives Bystander's Account of Battle of Gettysburg (Page 1 and Page 2) from the Harrisburg Telegraph (circa 1927).

Here is a retyped version of the article that may provide for easier reading.

According to the Social Security Administration, if Grandma Hartman had been 85 years old in 2006, she would have been expected to live another 6.68 years to the age of 91.68 years. However, she made it all the way to 93.17 years in 1935. Perhaps her age and her tales from the Battle of Gettysburg made her newsworthy in 1927.

Here are links to some information referenced in the article:

General Meredith survived the Battle of Gettysburg but sustained some serious injuries, and his horse was killed.
Al Smith lost the 1928 US presidential election to Herbert Hoover.

Thank you to Lorna Rudisill (4th generation in-law on the Rufus Allen Hartman line) who shared this article and to Sandi Kiger (4th generation on the Mary Grace Hartman line) who provided the retyped version.