Wilbur Hartman

1934 - 2026

Wilbur (Bill) Hartman, 91, passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at his home in Epworth, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the Reiff Funeral Home in Epworth, Iowa. The Epworth Volunteer Fire Department will meet at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will also be held starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday April 1, 2026, at the funeral home with a service to follow at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be held at Fairview Cemetery in Farley and the striking of the 4-5’s by the Epworth Fire Department. 

Bill was born June 10, 1934, in Dubuque, Iowa, to Howard and Suzanna (Haas) Hartman. He was a 1952 graduate of Epworth High School. On June 19, 1956, he was united in marriage to Helen O’Meara in Farley, Iowa. He was employed at John Deere Dubuque Works for 30 years until his retirement in 1994.  He was a skilled technician making fenders. When he retired, John Deere could not find a worker to produce the fenders without excess scrap, so Bill was hired by Giese Sheet Metal to produce fenders for many years post-retirement.

Upon retirement and for 24 years thereafter, Bill and Helen would winter in Arizona, where Bill enjoyed swimming, walking and teaching line dancing. He was one of the few male dancers, in which he took great delight. It was there that he crooned to his favorite song, “Lord, It’s Hard to Be Humble.” While Bill loved Arizona, Epworth was his true home, and he gave generously to the community. He was a fireman for 25 years at the Epworth Volunteer Fire Department, served on the Epworth City Council, coached little league baseball and spent countless shifts at the WD Booster Club concession stand.

Bill was never one to sit around. He and Helen had a large garden that provided fresh produce and canned and frozen fruits and vegetables for all their relatives. He loved collecting John Deere tractors and memorabilia and finding bargains at garage sales throughout Eastern Iowa.

He was a devoted husband, father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. His family was his greatest joy, and he loved supporting his large and extended family. His wife Helen was the love of his life, and they would have been married 70 years this June.

It is fitting that Bill’s service will be on April Fools' Day because he was always joking. Whenever one of his grandkids would do well in school or win an award, he would tease that he was in the top ten of his graduating high school class at Epworth. There were 10 students graduating in 1952.

He is survived by his wife Helen; his six children, Paul (Chris), Carl (Lynn), Keith (Amy), Lynn (Marc), Laura (Kirk), and Alan; 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren with another due in September; two sisters Shirley (Dick) Peters and Sandra (Ken) Brady; sister-in-law Ruth (Ken) Hartman; brother-in-law, James (Carol) O’Meara.

He was preceded in death by his parents; mother and father-in-law James and Mabel O’Meara; his brothers Paul and Ken, and his sister Rita Jackson; sisters-in-laws Mary (Ken)Hartman, Lois (Jim) Konzen; June (Richard) Brandenburg; his brother-in-law Richard Peters and great-granddaughter Ruby Dardis.

The family wishes to thank the Epworth Volunteer Fire Department for the care they provided Bill and his family during his illness and Kelly Lincicum for the great care and support.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Epworth Volunteer Fire Department.