Bartman, Henry A. 1938-2011

BARTMAN, VANDEWEERD, KINGMA

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/16/2011 at 19:18:37

Henry A. Bartman
Henry A. "Bart" Bartman, age 73, passed away Monday, March 21, 2011 at his home in Canton, SD. Memorial services will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 26, 2011 at Prairie Hills Covenant Church 2500 S Powder House Road, Sioux Falls, SD. A private family burial will take place prior to the service.
Bart was born to the late Ralph and Janet (nee van de Weerd) Bartman in Rock Valley, Iowa. He grew up in Sheldon, Iowa where he remained through high school. In February of 1955 he joined the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in February of 1959. Following his commitment to the Armed Forces, Bart attended horticultural school in California. God had clearly called Bart to be a steward of the land. Bart never lost his reverence for or his love of the earth. He worked the soil, he glorified the soil and he owned the soil. The pride in his eyes when he saw the results of his stewardship and the sureness in his voice when he spoke with such time honored knowledge, left no doubt in anyone that God had given Bart a purpose and that it was a purpose Bart loved! For 35 years Bart was a Landscape Contractor and held office on both the state and local level, including a term as President of the California Landscape Association and Man of the Year for 1976. Bart also showed his business acumen as the successful owner of both a home care respiratory company and a manufacturing company.
In his last years he was back on the land he came from in the home he built with his partner in grace, Dorothy. It is magically set with the Iowa Bluffs as a backdrop.
His beloved family and friends and church were the fruits of his labor. He was generous, close to the chest, and shared an unmistakable laugh and sense of humor! His gardening, his adventuresome rides on his Harley and his days fishing gave him great peace and pleasure.
He was content to know that Dorothy was by his side, that his children loved him and that his family and friends respected him. His Heavenly Father continued to love and forgive him until his last earthly breath escaped him and his first breath in Heaven was inhaled.
He leaves, for now, his beloved wife Dorothy (nee Kingma) Bartman who he married on November 14, 1974, four beloved children: son Randal J. (Toni) Bartman of Rancho Santa Margarita, California; daughter Julie Ann (Michael) Chamberland of Edwards, Colorado; daughter Pamela Jo (Joseph) Wilson of Laguna Niguel, California; son Bradley Dale Bartman of San Francisco, California; sister Clarene M. (Thomas) Stansbury of Long Beach, California; niece, Melissa (Stansbury) Coates; six grandchildren; four step grandchildren.