Helga Hartman

Helga Dagmara Hartman ALBANY- Helga Dagmara Hartman, 94, passed away peacefully, after a short illness on Monday, June 4, 2012 at The Good Samaritan Lutheran Health Care Center in Delmar. Born in Mazsalaca, Latvia; she was raised and educated in Riga, Latvia. She married her first husband in 1938 and had two daughters. In 1944, the family had to flee from the invading Russian Army. They lived in various displaced persons camps in Germany. In 1947, the family immigrated to the U.S. and took up residence in N.Y.C. Until her English language skills improved, she worked at various menial jobs. After that she worked at F. W. Woolworth Company, first as a sales-counter lady and then was promoted to Assistant Floor Manager. By the mid 1950s, she changed jobs in order to advance her career and acquired an entry-level clerk's position at Washington Heights Federal Savings & Loan Association in Manhattan. While there, she started attending evening courses, to acquire secretarial and banking skills. First at Gibbs Secretarial School and then she took, and finished, all the courses available at The N.Y.C. Chapter of the American Savings and Loan Institute. She also became a Notary Public. Her scholastic achievements were acknowledged by the bank, and she was promoted to a highly responsible position in the mortgage servicing department. At that time, she also joined The Women's Association of Savings and Loan Institutions. In the 1970s, she changed her employment to Century Federal Savings & Loan Association, in Cedarhurst, N.Y. There she achieved the title of Assistant Treasurer and retired in 1982. Mrs. Hartman lived in various boroughs of N.Y.C. for 29 years until she moved to Wantagh in 1976. She relocated to Albany in 1987. She divorced her first husband in 1959 and married her second husband in 1965. Mrs. Hartman was predeceased by her parents, Karlis Alfreds Eliskalns and Eda Etmanis Eliskalns; her ex-husband, Ervins Celmins; and her second husband, Adolf Hartman. She is survived by her daughters, Laima Celmins and Mara Puspurs; her grandson, Erik Kusko; and great-granddaughters, Rebecca and Nicole Kusko. She was a member of the American Latvian Association and a very active member of the American Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church congregation. She was interested in politics and world affairs and was a frequent contributor to The Times Union "Letters to the Editor". The dearest place, to her heart, was her Fatherland Latvia. She always regretted that, due to various circumstances, she was never able to return there, even for a visit. Funeral services Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1 p.m. at New Comer-Cannon Funeral Home. Relatives and friends are invited and may call Monday after 12 noon in the funeral home. Mrs. Hartman will be cremated and the interment of her ashes will be at a later date at the Latvian Memorial Park Cemetery, Elka Park, N.Y. To leave a special message for the family online, visit NewcomerAlbany.com In lieu of flowers those wishing to remember Helga Dagmara Hartman in a special way may send a contribution to the American Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, c/o Talavs Erglis, 16 Gauthier Drive, Clifton Park, N.Y. 12065.