Samuel Hartman Family

Samuel Hartman, of German descent, was born in 1807 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He married Lucy Vinton and moved to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1845. In 1850 they moved to Henry County and purchased 62 acres of land near the Maumee River, now known as Round Bottom, at $1.25 per acre. Ten children were born to Sam and Lucy: Charles, Nathaneil, George, Thomas, Amanda, Richard, Daniel, Samuel, Fanny, and Elizabeth.

Daniel Vinton Hartman, the seventh child of Sam Hartman, married Melissa Gardner. They settled on a farm in Harrison Township across the road from the Randall Hill School, one mile east of Sharon Church. Five children were born to Dan and Melissa: Charles, Gertrude, Emma, Basil, and Mabel. Later they moved to Front Street, Napoleon, and raised produce for sale. Dan fought in the Civil War, taught school, and was an ardent church worker in the Napoleon Methodist Church. Melissa died in 1929 and Dan in 1933.

Charles J., eldest son of Daniel, married Emaline Hoy. They lived on the Dan Hartman farm in Harrison Township and later moved to South Napoleon and then built a house on West Clinton Street. Charles and Emaline had no children. He was a farmer, teacher, and salesman. He could sell anything to anyone. He sold cars, pianos, produce, tires, Fuller brushes, and furniture polish which he made himself. Charles died in 1959 at age 94 and Emaline preceding him by five or six years.

Gertrude married George Kryder, farmer and Ohio State Senator. They had five children and lived two miles west of McClure, Ohio.

Emma Hartman Leroy had no children.

[Photo, p. 231a] Samuel and Lucy Hartman

Mabel Hartman Combs, youngest child of Dan and Melissa, graduated from Napoleon High School in 1904. She taught school and then moved to San Francisco, California. She is the mother of Helen and James. Helen Combs Cohn lives with her mother in San Francisco and is the mother of one daughter, Sonya, and two grandchildren, Drew and Rebecca Barrington. James and his family live in Three Rivers, Michigan. He has one son, Kim, and a granddaughter.

Harry Basil Hartman, fourth child of Dan and Melissa, married Lottie Emery Halter, adopted daughter of Florence Emery Halter in 1903. Basil built a house on West Maumee Avenue next to the garden that he and his father farmed. He later moved to the Florence Halter property at the corner of Clinton and Monroe Streets which had been built by Col. Steadman of Civil War fame. Lottie and Basil sold it to the State and the present Armory was built there. Basil and Lottie purchased the home at 201 East Front Street on the Maumee River in 1912. Basil taught school in many of the one-room country schools in Henry County including his home school Randall Hill. He also taught two years in Grants Pass, Oregon. During the summer he was a partner in the produce business with his father, Dan. Lottie was very active in the Methodist Church where she was organist for about 40 years. She also was a popular accompanist for many choruses and other groups in northwest Ohio. She was a successful magazine saleswoman in five counties in northern Ohio. Lot-tie and Basil celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in July, 1961. Basil died in 1961 at age 86.

[Photo, p. 231b] Samuel Hartman

Two children were born to Basil and Lottie - Florence Marie and John Andrew.

Florence was born in 1904 and graduated from Napoleon High School in 1922. She attended Bowling Green and Ohio Universities and taught in Napoleon, Stryker, and Columbus, Ohio, before marrying Waldro J. Kindig, son of Elizabeth and Zachariah Kindig, owners of the Kindig Bakery in Napoleon. Waldro attended Ohio State and graduated from Teachers College and Columbus University with a Master's degree. He was principal of high schools in New Jersey for 30 years during which time he taught in many college summer sessions including John Hopkins University and the University of Vermont. After retiring from public school he was Dean of Edward Williams College in Hackensack, New Jersey, for two years before retiring and moving to Clearwater, Florida. Waldro died in 1967. Florence and Waldro have one son, Robert Russell and five grandchildren: Patricia, Kathryn, Robert Russell, Jr., Drew Waldro (died in 1973), and Cheryl Robin. Robert graduated from Plainfield, New Jersey, High School and the University of North Carolina. He served in the United States Army as a paratrooper. Robert and his wife, Vivia, live in Beckley, West Virginia, where he is manager of a Super-X Drug Store.

[Photo, p. 232a] Waldro and Robert Kindig

[Photo, p. 232b] John B., John A., Virginia, Georgette Hartman

[Photo, p. 232c] Basil and Lottie Hartman, 1953 - Golden Wedding celebration

John Hartman graduated from Napoleon High School and Bowling Green State University. He married Virginia "Fritzi" Bigelow whom he met in music school in 1936. She was the youngest child of John and Etta Bigelow and a member of their family band. John and Virginia were both teachers - John teaching eight years in Holland and Delta, Ohio, and 30 years in Bryan, Ohio, as director of the marching band and head of the music department of Bryan Schools. Virginia taught in Lake, North Troy, Delta, and Bryan, Ohio. She also traveled with her sisters playing in bands that played across the country. John and Virginia retired from school music in 1973, but continue many musical activities including the Bryan City Band which John conducts and Virginia is a soloist. She excels as a saxophone soloist. In 1966 John was voted to the Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame because of his success on the track team while in college. John served in the United States Navy during World War II and played in a Navy band.

John and Virginia have two children, John and Georgetta.

John graduated from Bryan High School and from the Ohio State Dental College in 1965. He served as a dentist in the United States Army of which one year was in Vietnam. In 1969 he attended the University of California and became a periodontist. He now has an office in San Rafael, California. John's musical hobby takes him all over the San Francisco area as the trombone player in a Dixieland Band.

Georgetta was born in 1946. At age 8 she was a three-time winner on the Ted Mack TV Show. In 1955 she played at the Palace Theater in New York City with the Phil Spitalny Orchestra. She also played in Las Vegas with the same band, playing a specialty number on nine different instruments. She graduated from Bryan High School and Ohio State University, after which she taught in Maumee and Columbus, Ohio. She married Frederick Louis Kuhman III, a banker and teacher. They live in Columbus, Ohio, and have one child, Melissa Lynn.

Submitted by John Hartman