Chester (Chet) G. Hartman, 89, went to
be with the Lord on Tuesday (Jan. 14, 2020) at Newton Medical Center.
Chet was born August 3, 1930, to Carmen and Cora (Rogers) Hartman.
Chet served his country in the United
States Navy during the Korean War from 1951 to 1955.
After leaving the service he began
farming for Dick Washburn. His next job was working at Guerdons
Mobile Home Manufacturing, where he became a Foreman and President of
their Union. He left the company to start a business with his brother
Clyde, who invented the fiberglass spreader bodies. The business was
called Glasshopper, Inc. When he moved to Halstead, Kansas he worked
at the Halstead Hospital in maintenance from 1979 to 1994. During his
time at the hospital, he also served as the Assistant Fire Chief on
the Halstead volunteer Fire Department from 1979 to 1996. After
retiring from the Halstead Hospital, he worked as a security officer
for the Hospital. Later he purchased a building located on Main
Street in Halstead, Kansas and established an auction house that he
operated for 7 1/2 years from 1998 to 2005.
During his spare time, he loved to fish
and hunt and was also an avid coyote hunter. His biggest interest was
driving in the demolition derbies at the Hutchinson State Fair,
McPherson, Marion and the Harvey County Fair. He started driving in
1964 and at 50 years old, he began using his age as his number on
each car. He had been in a total of 134 races. His final race was at
the Harvey County Fair Demolition Derby in 2015 when he was 85. He
won first place in his class. However, he still had plans to drive
one more time on his 90th birthday in 2020.
Chet was a member of the First Church
of the Nazarene and on Easter Sunday morning in 1966, he accepted
Jesus as his Savior. Two weeks later on April 24th he was baptized
upon confession of his faith. On October 15, 1950, Chet married
Evelyn Ediger, his wife of 69 1/2 years, in Newton at the Evangelical
United Brethern church and she survives.
Chet is survived by his wife Evelyn;
children: Sharon (Lontie) Jantz of Moundridge, Debbie (Mike) Miles of
North Newton; grand-children: Neil (Ashley) Jantz of Mulvane, Brad
(Kali) Jantz of Moundridge and 4 great-grandchildren: Haylee, Trey,
Aubree and Chase. Chet was preceded in death by his parents; and
sister, Marjorie Miles; brother, Clyde Hartman; brother, Melvin and
great-granddaughter, Abigail Jantz.
Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Thursday
(Jan. 30, 2020) at First Baptist Church, 6th and Poplar, Newton, with
Pastor Chip Bungard officiating. Military Honors will be presented at
the church.
There will be a private inurnment at a
later date in the Halstead Cemetery.
Memorials may be given in lieu of
flowers to the First Church of the Nazarene in care of Petersen
Funeral Home.