James "Dale" Hartman

1925 - 2021

James "Dale" Hartman
May 29, 1925 - September 10, 2021
Resident of Concord, CA
James "Dale" Hartman passed with loved ones by his side in Folsom, CA on Sept. 10, 2021. He woke up that morning, ate his breakfast and displayed a demeanor of harmony until God decided he had made room for him to rest. Even in his final hours, Dale kept his well-known wit alive by joking with those present that all he needed was "dancing ladies."
Dale was born to Glen and Goldie Hartman in Aitkin, MN on May 29, 1925. He spent his childhood with his parents, who he considered to be his angels, and his two siblings, growing up in the countryside and skating on the frozen ponds of the Midwest. Just as Dale was seeking out a college education, he was drafted into the United States Marine Corps to serve his country in World War II.
Due to his intelligence, Dale was a Marine selected to man a ship that traveled across the globe. After docking a few times at a port in New York, he met his future wife — Margaret "Marge" Murphy — at a gathering planned by her good friend. They wed just outside of her hometown of Long Island, NY. Dale and Marge drove cross-country in the late 1940s and relocated to the Bay Area where they stayed and built a family — an unplanned adventure. They were married for 74 years, spending much of their time hosting Saturday morning breakfasts, Sunday night dinners and every kind of function in between, even if the occasion was just hosting a relative who needed to come over for courteous advice and a cup of coffee.
Dale was preceded in death by both of his parents and his brother, Gary Hartman. He is survived by his wife, his sister Verne Stevens (Jack), his daughters Christine Templer (John) and Mary Rumley (Bill) and his sons James "Jim" Hartman and Thomas Hartman (Amy). After starting out alone, the Hartmans today have too many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren to name; all will miss their patriarch greatly.
A military burial was held for Dale on Sept. 21 at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA. His headstone, placed among the ranks of his comrades, will read this: "You will always be with us."


View the online memorial for James "Dale" Hartman