Mary Hartwig Obituary

Mary Louise Hartwig

Born: Jan. 18, 1918; in Wild Rose, WI

Died: Feb. 24, 2016; in Fitchburg, WI

Mary Louise (Jones) Hartwig, passed away February 24, 2016, in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

She was born January 18, 1918, in Wild Rose, Wisconsin to Barbara Elizabeth Roberts and Charles Jones. Mary was the second oldest of five children (Charles, Blodwyn, Grace and Osborne). When Mary was about 10 years old her mother died, and she along with her brother Chuck assumed responsibility for helping care for her siblings.

Mary attended Oshkosh State Teachers College for two years and because of her strong commitment to education encouraged her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to further their education. She was proud of her family and their accomplishments, and always talked about them.

On May 5, 1941, Mary married Karl Theodore Hartwig in Madison, Wisconsin. They were together for over 34 years and had three children (Barbara Lillian, Karl Theodore and Helen Elizabeth), 10 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

Mary was a member of Eastern Star and the Oakland Cambridge Presbyterian Church. She and Karl lived in Texas, Wyoming, and Wisconsin during the early years of their marriage, before settling down in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in the late 1940s. Mary was a homemaker when her children were young. Her children have fond memories of yearly gatherings for Thanksgiving with Mary's siblings and their families.

In 1962 the family moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico where Mary worked part time in the gift shop of the San Geronimo Hilton, just down the street from their apartment on Condado Avenue. In 1963, right after the Cuban missile crisis, Mary and Karl bought a cottage "stateside" on Lake Ripley in Cambridge, Wisconsin. It was here that family and friends gathered to watch the lake, pick up sticks, play games in the yard, and enjoy simple meals at the two picnic tables on the porch. For two summers, three grandchildren (Heather, Luke and Gwyneth) lived at the cottage where "Nana" would often bring over the morning newspaper, collect the trash, and keep an eye on them.

In 1972 Mary and Karl moved to Minneapolis where they lived until Karl passed away in 1975. At that point Mary returned to Wisconsin, settling in Cambridge. In 1977 Mary became a seasonal employee at the Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. During her 14 summers at Bryce, she worked at the front desk and the gift shop. Her children and grandchildren fondly remember spending several weeks each summer at the Park where she joined them on visits to nearby areas of interest for hikes and sightseeing. For many years, Mary spent her winters in Mesa, Arizona. After retiring from Bryce at 72 years of age, she lived independently in Cambridge near her sister Grace Rumpf until 2007.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her siblings, and one nephew.

She is survived by her children, their spouses, her grandchildren, Heather Marie, Lucas Karl, Ronald Christian, Gwyneth Louise, Sarah Marie, Ryan Heath, Ariana Grace, Emylee Wilder, Peter Nicholas, Joshua Roberts; her great grandchildren, Magdalena, Spencer, Charles, Jackson, Noah, Sophia, Catherine, Madison, Anna, Harrison, Aidan, Peyton, Rilyn, Jonah, Henry, Kamdin, Claire; and six nieces and one nephew.

Mary's family appreciates the care she received from staff at Sylvan Crossings in Fitchburg, Wisconsin over the last six years. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mary's memory can be sent to the Cambridge Foundation, P.O. Box1, Cambridge, Wisconsin 53523. Correspondence to the family regarding Mary can be sent to [email protected].

Funeral services were held in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

The Nitardy Funeral Home assisted the family. www.nitardyfuneralhome.com