Arthur E.Hartman

Arthur Hartman was a kind, considerate man who brought happiness into the lives of all who knew him. He was happily married to his one true love, the proud father of two daughters and the doting grandfather of a granddaughter. A loving family man and friend to many, Arthur had the type of personality that everyone loved to be around. He was also a valued member of his community and participated in many organizations, which gained him respect and admiration among his cohorts. Arthur truly believed there was great virtue in a good education, a good family and a good community. Although the country was in the midst of the Great Depression in the 1930s, life went on. The average annual salary was $1,368, and Ford Motor Company was well on its way to making automobiles accessible to the common man. For Fred and Mildred (Johnson) Hartman, life in Fremont, Michigan was certainly "going on" as they busily prepared for the impending birth of their first child. On November 14, 1934, they delighted in welcoming their son, Arthur, into the world. Arthur was an only child. He grew up in a loving home, where his mother tended to the family's needs while his father earned a living working at Continental Motors in Muskegon. Arthur was an active boy and played football and tennis at Muskegon Heights High School, where he graduated in 1953. A year later, Arthur crossed paths with former classmate, Rose Lakatos, and they began to date. Over the next year, their relationship slowly blossomed while they had fun attending movies and dances together. Arthur and Rose were happily married on June 11, 1955, and had two beautiful daughters: Brenda born in 1958, and Mary born in 1963. In the year their first daughter was to be born, Arthur, along with a very pregnant Rose, built their first home in Fruitport. Here they shared many wonderful memories together over the years with their family. It was also home to two very special dogs named Sadie and Roudee, who Arthur loved very much. Hardworking and dedicated, Arthur faithfully provided for his family over the years. During their first years of marriage, Arthur worked at Muskegon Piston Ring and later at Johnson Technologies. In the mid 1980's, he went back to school and received his Masters from Western Michigan University, a day he treasured as one of his greatest in his life. He then put his education to good use in school finance as Business Manager in the Kent City Public Schools. In 1990, Arthur accepted a job as Business Manager for the Petoskey Public Schools and remained here for 10 years before retiring on June 30, 2000. During this time, he and Rose had moved to Petoskey to be closer to Arthur's work, but after he retired, the couple moved back to their much loved home in Fruitport. Although Arthur's professional career was based on accounting, he longed to make a difference in the school systems and education in his community. He proudly served as a member of the Fruitport Board of Education and was instrumental in helping to annex Fruitport and Beach schools. Because Arthur was such an asset to the Fruitport school system, he was asked to join the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District Board, where he eventually served as Board President. Additionally, Arthur was also a member of the Crestwood United Methodist Church, Fruitport Lions Club and the National Accounting Association. Arthur was not one to sit "and let your tires spin" - he wanted to be out having fun. Whether he was snowmobiling with his many friends or taking his family out for extreme burgers at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, Arthur was always doing something. He was an avid bowler and cribbage player and longtime hunter, though he only got two deer in his lifetime. Arthur was a die-hard fan of the Muskegon Zephyrs and Mohawks and held season tickets to their games for 25 years. Yet, in 1994, Arthur became the biggest fan and proudest grandfather of his granddaughter, Lucy, who he adored. He bought her every bike she ever owned, and enjoyed helping her ride them too. Lucy is the daughter of Brenda and her husband, Chip. They married in 1992 and Arthur considered Chip to be "the son he never had" and the two of them were very close. Chip's father had passed away when Chip was young and Chip looked to Arthur not as a father-in-law but as a father. Through the years, Arthur enjoyed taking his family on many trips throughout the U.S. Some of their destinations included Florida, California, Mackinaw Island, Wisconsin Dells, Glen Lake and Big Star Lake cottages. They visited famous landmarks like the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, as well as the Mojave Desert, Knotts Berry Farm, Disneyland and Sea World. These family trips left indelible memories that are still talked about today. When at home, the family went for long leisure drives every Sunday, and had pizza at Sorrento's every Friday and Saturday night with friends. Arthur was simply a wonderful man who was loved by everyone. Although he often wittingly said, "give me the baby...forget the labor pains", Arthur never shied away from hard work and did the best job he could with whatever task was at hand. And while Arthur was known to be stubborn and opinionated, it was his incredibly kind and generous heart that made him the man people were proud to know. He will be deeply missed. Arthur E. Hartman, age 71, died Thursday, September 21, 2006, surrounded by his family after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Rose; 2 daughters: Brenda (Ervin "Chip) Artlip of Byron Center, and Mary Hartman of Fruitport; granddaughter, Lucy Artlip; many other family members and close friends. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Clock Chapel, Muskegon. Interment at Fruitport Cemetery. Friends may visit with Arthur's family on Monday, September 25, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or sign the online guest book. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.