Jacob Robert Hartman (19 March 1869 - 18 March 1953)

Nancy Ogden Westerdahl’s Grandfather

Unfortunately, Nancy does not have fond memories of her Grandpa Hartman or the trip to his home in Hampton from Gettysburg every Sunday with a chicken dinner prepared with loving hands of her Mother, Grace Hartman Ogden. 

Bob, as he was known to others, must have been well liked in the community, because he was elected to three offices including justice of the peace, clerk of the courts and secretary of the school board. He was also a Mason, a secret fraternal organization whose members supported each other and contributed to charities.

For twenty-five years, Bob owned Hartman’s Mill, located on the Hanover-Abbotstown Road, one mile south of Abbotstown. He sold the business in 1936 at auction. Grandpa Hartman was also a barber for a time, and we still have several of his whetstones and his strop he used to put a keen edge on a straight razor. 

Nancy remembers Grandpa Hartman as a stern, grim man who never treated her Grandma with affection despite the fact she waited on him hand and foot, cooking on an old cast iron wood stove, baking, washing in water hand pumped from a well, ironing, cleaning and raising four children: Grace, Ima, Ira and Lloyd. Unfortunately, another daughter, Mary Catherine, died just one month after she was born. 

Nancy remembers a pig sty at Grandma and Grandpa’s home in Hampton. We wonder if Grandma also took care of the pigs?

The trip to Hampton referred to above, was very unpleasant for Nancy. Unfortunately, her father, Charles,  smoked cigars on the trip, and in the winter with the windows closed, the odor often resulted in Nancy arriving car sick in Hampton.