Steve Hartman

1956 - 2021

Steve Hartman

A celebration of life for Steve Hartman, 65, of Medora, will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at the HartCross Ranch north of Medora. For directions please visit the Stevenson Funeral Home website.

North Dakota is mourning the loss of a true cowboy, husband, dad, brother, friend and so much more when he hung up his spurs Saturday, May 22, 2021 at the age of 65. Steve Hartman was born Feb. 25, 1956 in Carrington to Ray and Patricia (Stowell) Hartman. Steve grew up on the family farm north of Sykeston and completed his schooling through the 12th grade from Sykeston High School.

Steve has always been an active man. In his younger years Steve did everything from playing basketball and boxing in high school, helping his family on the farm, to training horses. He and his brother Russ used to team up at the Wells County horse racing track where Steve trained the horses and Russ would be the jockey in the races. They were quite the dynamic duo.

Steve decided to stop racing in the early 1980s. He sold his winning race horse for $25,000 in Chicago and decided to use this money to become a business owner. So Steve started Hartman Crane Service and worked in the oilfield for 16 years while he raised his family. In 1999 he sold his crane but remained working in the oil field and made it his life's work.

In 1992 he met the love of his life, Connie where they hung their hats in Steve's log home north of Dickinson. During this time, Steve and Connie purchased acreage north of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park where they set in a log cabin which eventually became their home in 2000. After 18 years of courtship, Steve finally proposed and they were married at the HartCross ranch in the badlands of North Dakota on their grandson Jace's second birthday July 24, 2010.

For those of us who knew Steve, he was legendary with tall tales, nicknames like "Reverend Hartman" and a million smiles and jokes followed him in his travels. His gruff voice, firm handshake, and his strong presence was his calling card. Steve would help anyone who needed it and quickly showed appreciation when he was on the receiving end. It's honestly a shorter list of people he didn't know than the ones he did, especially in the energy industry, where he worked his whole entire adult life.

Steve was an active lifetime member of the American Quarter Association; N.D. Thoroughbred Association (past president); N.D. Racing Commissioner; N.D. Cutting Horse Association; N.D. Team Penning Association; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and mentor and teacher in horsemanship for the incarcerated youths of Southwest Multi-County Correction Center.

He leaves behind his wife, Connie; daughter Jamie (Ryan) Sorenson, Bismarck; son Derrick, Fargo, grandson Jace; brother Russ, Hereford, Ariz.; sisters Trish (Dave) Greenwood, Jamestown and Shelly (Chuck) Dahl Hazen; father-in-law, Ray Kadrmas, Dickinson, sisters-in-law Renee' (Leonard) Hysell, Mountain View, Wyo., Cheryl (Gary) Kohler, Jolyn Bliss, Mary (David) Ell, Susette (Keith) Ridl, all of Dickinson; brother-in-law Keith (Leann) Minot; numerous nieces, nephews and grand-niece, Rayna, his special little cowgirl.

Steve is preceded in death by his loving parents, Ray and Pat Hartman, his sister, Joanne, mother-in-law, Georgia and brother-in-law Kevin Kadrmas.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to The Ronald McDonald House. TRMH was one of Steve's many favorite charities to donate to.

Remembrances and condolences can be shared with the family at stevensonfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements by Stevenson Funeral Home – Dickinson