Mary Charlotte (Barber) Hartz, 89, died on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at the Wharton Nursing Home, Uplands in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. Mary was born May 19, 1930 at the Holy Family Hospital in La Porte, Indiana. She almost made 90 years. She was the third daughter and fourth child of the five children of Ira J. and Mable (Reeg) Barber.
Mary attended elementary and high school in La Porte, Indiana. Her photo in the high school year book has the caption “One In A Million” which was an honor her fellow students bestowed upon her. As a teenager Mary worked cleaning houses earning $5.00 per day.
Mary was the only one in her family to pursue a college degree. Up one graduation from high school she enrolled in Ball State College in Muncie, Indiana, however, after one quarter, she was called home to care for her mother who was critically ill.
Mary met a young man named George at a Methodist Youth Fellowship event. She enjoyed correspondence, especially to military servicemen, among them George Hartz. Upon his discharge, the two became more serious, were engaged and were married at the First United Methodist Church in La Porte, Indiana, on August 19, 1951.
The new family moved to Yankton, South Dakota where George attended Yankton College and they lived in special married housing, off-campus. In spite of many obstacles, Mary never gave up on her pursuit of further education. She took courses at Yankton College while teaching in a one room country school near Yankton.
She lived alone in the parsonage at Winfred, South Dakota while George commuted as pastor. She taught at Windfred Elementary school and gave birth to their first child, Maryjane, on the day of George’s graduation from Yankton College. The family moved to Brentford, South Dakota and Mary enrolled at Northern State Teacher’s College in Aberdeen, South Dakota and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.
In 1957, the family moved to Hartford, Connecticut where George continued his education and Mary taught school in East Hartford to support the family. Upon George’s graduation in 1959, the family moved to Morris, Minnesota and added two more children to the family, John and Martha.
In 1965 the family moved to Byron Illinois to serve the United Church of Byron. It was in Byron that the youngest child was diagnosed with autism, which required special care and education.
Mary earned a Master of Science Degree from Northern Illinois University in 1976.
Mary sang in all the church choirs where George served. As a pastor’s wife she often took assignments that others didn’t want, including youth camp counselor and junior high Sunday school teacher. She enjoyed singing with Sweet Adeline’s chorus in Rockford, Illinois from 1981-1992 where they took first place in competition for two consecutive years.
Upon retirement, George and Mary moved to their summer cabin on Eagle Lake near Battle Lake, Minnesota. Mary designed and oversaw the renovation of the cabin, making it a year-round home. They spent winters exploring the southern areas of the United States in their fifth wheel trailer. They drove to Alaska pulling their tiny Scamp travel trailer. It was on one of these exploration trips they discovered Upland Retirement Village, a United Church of Christ community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. They built a new home there and settled in. Mary was diagnosed with a brain aneurism which affected her daily functioning and moved into the Wharton Nursing Home nearby their home in the Upland Village. The caregivers at Wharton’s describe Mary as easy going and cheerful.
Mary enjoyed sewing and joined a quilting group in her years at Uplands Village. She completed several colorful quilts. She also took a class and built a Dulcimer and learned to play it.
Mary Hartz was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Ira Barber and Donald Barber, sisters, Janet Barber Schoff and June Iris Barber Anderson. Also preceding her in death were a nephew, Robert Anderson and niece, Nancy Schoff, nephew Donald Barber, Jr., granddaughter Abigail Susan Westra and son-in-law Donald E. Westra.
Mary Hartz is survived by her husband, George Frederick Hartz, children Maryjane Hartz (Don) Westra and John Steven (Karen) Hartz, Martha Marie Hartz, grandchildren Evan Joshua Westra, Jacob Margason, Kristina Reyes Allen, Jacob “Glen” Westra, Lucas Paul Westra, Mary Johanna Westra and Vanessa May Ramirez Westra, Robert Theodore Hartz and step-grandchildren Tanya and Joshua Colvin. She is also survived by 12.5 great-grandchildren and one soon-to-be born great-great grandchild.
Mary’s body has been donated to the Vanderbilt Medical School. A service of memory will be held at George’s home in Pleasant Hill on Wednesday, May 13, at 1:00 with Rev. Don Smith officiating. Face covering masks will be required and distancing will be observed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
