James "Jim" Hartman

Pastor James “Jim” Hartman, age 78, of Union, Iowa, entered into the gates of Heaven on the evening of Friday, February 13, 2026 at Oakview in Conrad with his family at his side.

James Richard Hartman was born June 14,1947, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He was the son born to Richard and Iva (Joslin) Hartman. Jim spent his early years in Sturgeon Bay before relocating with his family to Iowa where he attended school in Fairfield, Iowa and later a graduate of Fairfield High School.

He furthered his education at Elim Bible College in Lyman, New York. It was in New York, where he met Sally Gersley. They attended the same church and eventually went on their first date together which was bowling and not square dancing as they originally planned. On July 20, 1968, they were united in marriage at the Farmington Friends Church in a ceremony officiated by his father. They moved into their first home which was a little yellow schoolhouse in Farmington, NY, and they began a family of their own raising three children. They moved to Iowa in 1973. He would later attend and receive a Bachelors degree from William Penn University.

Jim was a minister of the Lord where over a 50-year career served at many churches including, Indianola Friends Church, Bangor Liberty Friends Church, Grace Church in Liscomb Assembly of God, Whitten Community Church and Alice Church of God. In his free time, Jim enjoyed going hunting and was known to be a gun enthusiast and participated in competition shootings. He often while hunting went for coon, various birds and deer seasons. There was a time where he spent time trapping. He enjoyed the outdoors, liking to go canoeing and was able to travel to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota twice. He liked music and loved to play guitar and sing along to various country tunes as well as gospel and hymns. He spent time in the missions field, taking trips to Honduras and spent time operating a hog equipment operation for a period of time. Jim was an avid reader and enjoyed writing stories, poems and devotionals. When he was able to do so, he enjoyed watching western movies.

Those left to remember and cherish his memory are his wife of 57 years, Sally Hartman; his children, Melissa (Halldor Ingi Eythorsson) Hartman of Beaman, Aaron (Jeannine Balfour) Hartman of Los Angeles, Glenn (Minnie Alvarez) Hartman of (Bangor) Union and Kathleen (Lynn) Gieken ; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Jessica, Oona, Raine, Kirsten and Easton; his siblings, Jane (Dave) Jones and Adora (Paul) Davis alongside many nieces and nephews.

In eternal life, he is rejoined with his parents, Richard and Iva Hartman and his siblings, Janet and Damaris.

Funeral services for Jim will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 beginning at 10:30 A.M. at the Whitten Community Church. A visitation for family and friends will be held Monday, February 23, 2026 from 4:00 until 7:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Memorials in Jim’s name may be directed to the family for a later designation. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

A special thanks to Oakview Nursing of Conrad and to St. Croix Hospice for the care given to Jim and his family.