Darrell W Hartmann

Darrell William Hartmann, 67, of Crete passed away on December 26, 2023, as the result of a severe heart attack suffered at his place of work in southern Cook County. Darrell was born on December 6, 1956, in Hazel Crest to Leroy and Mildred (Lange) Hartmann of rural Crete, the third child and second son in a large family of six children. He grew up on the family dairy farm. together with his three brothers and two sisters. Darrell attended grades K-8 at Zion Lutheran School in Crete, then. continued on to Crete-Monee High School. Here he excelled in every. subject, graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1974. He began. college at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, then transferred to Doctor Martin Lutheran College in New Ulm, MN, where he studied to become a Christian grade schoolteacher. For financial reasons Darrell interrupted his degree program several times, working. first part, then full time, finishing his last course work by correspondence study. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education in December of 1981. During this time Darrell discovered his interest, and developed his skills, in homebuilding and carpentry, for example by working over a year for a passive solar energy homebuilder in Ypsilanti, MI. Darrell moved back to the family farm in Crete in 1980 in order to help. his parents after his mother were diagnosed with cancer. After her death in 1981 he remained living in Crete, working first for Seehausen. Construction Company in Indiana, then for various other contractors with his own house framing crew. Following his father's death and the subsequent sale of the family homestead, Darrell lived for a time on Eagle Lake Road in Monee before moving to his last place of residence, again, in Crete. Despite Darrell's passion for homebuilding and carpentry, after the housing market crash of 2008 it was impossible to make a living in this. field. Darrell made the best of the situation by putting his math. skills to use, training at H&R Block and working there during the yearly. tax season up until the COVID-19 pandemic. For several years he drove a delivery truck supplying area schools with noontime meals. Above all he went back to school with a major in nursing, first at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, then at Governors State College in University Park. Here he received his Associate and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, again finishing at the top of his class. Since 2018 he worked at South Holland Manor nursing home, where he was a reliable, highly respected and well-liked colleague until his death. Darrell was gifted in so many ways. He had a natural ability with mathematics, finishing all such high school courses by his junior year. and enrolling at Purdue University in his senior year. He enjoyed. language, and foreign languages, as a senior in high school taking all four offered at the same time. He was often shy, but had a way with words and could come up with the wittiest remarks in the bat of an eye. He loved music and tried his own hand at guitar and at the piano, above. all enjoying live concerts and listening to a large collection of folks, rock, country and blues music. He loved books of all kinds, among other ones on architecture and building design style. He loved farm. animals and life outdoors, raising chickens and ducks and producing his own honey from a growing number of beehives. He loved his family, his neighbors and friends, always finding time to spend together when one. came to visit. He enjoyed interacting with his patients and trying to brighten their day. At the time of his death, he was taking classes to further his nursing expertise. He was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Crete and served the congregation in various capacities over. the years. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents Leroy and Mildred. He is. survived by his long-time companion Barbara Hoffman of Crete, sister. Mary Jo (Jerry) Johnson of New Ulm, MN; brother David (Dagmar) Hartmann of Karlsruhe, Germany; brother John (Sharon) Hartmann of Marana, AZ. brother James (Sharon) Hartmann of Evanston; sister Lora Beth (Dr. Steven) Topper of Colorado Springs, CO; and many nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held at Hack-Jensen Funeral Home in Beecher on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, from 3 to 7 pm. A memorial service will take. place at Zion Lutheran Church in Crete on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at 11 am. Interment will occur afterward at Zion Lutheran Cemetery, on the family gravesite next to his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Illinois. Lutheran Schools in Crete, or to the American Heart Association.