Services Thursday for Wm. F. Hartman

William Frederick Hartman, highly respected local resident and veteran music instructor in this area, passed away Tuesday [June 7, 1949] morning at 5:30 o'clock at his apartment home 202 South Maple street, following a heart attack.  He had been in fragile health since the first of the year and was obliged to give up his teaching.

Mr. Hartman was born on March 9, 1881 in Deilheim, Germany, coming to the United States when but six months old.  The family located in New York where Mr. Hartman was educated.  At the age of 21 he was sent to England to start an American Music Roll company remaining in England for nine years.  While there he studied at the Guild Hall School of Classics.  During his stay in England he also met his wife, the former Ann Walklate of London, whom he married in 1905.  After returning to the States he and his wife went to Toronto, Canada, where he started another similar Music Roll company.

In 1926, he came to DeKalb where he was the manager and arranger of the E. G. Clark Music Roll Company until it closed.  He then attended the Mossaiye Bogulaski College of Music in Chicago where he received his master's degree in music.  For the past 16 years he has taught music in the schools at Cortland, Elburn, Kaneville, Paw Paw, Compton and Sugar Grove.  He often spoke of these teaching years as the most pleasant ones of his life.  He loved music and was extremely fond of traveling.  During his few years of residence here he was affiliated with the Federated church.

Left to mourn his sudden demise are his wife, a daughter Mrs. Albert (Doris) Groveling of DeKalb and a son, Jack Hartman of Sycamore, also three grandchildren and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Beihl and Mrs. Lottie Heil both of Long Island, N. Y.

Final rites were accorded Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the Johnson-VanNatta Funeral Home.  It was a Masonic service with Rev. H. L. Michael of the Federated church being the officiating clergyman.  Interment took place in the Elmwood cemetery.

Source:  Sycamore True Republican, Sycamore, IL, 10 Jun 1949