Mary Hartman, 96, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. She was a longtime teacher at Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at All Saints Catholic Parish – St. Joseph Church in Le Mars. Father Doug Klein will celebrate Mass. Father Kevin Richter and Father Bruce Lawler will concelebrate. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars.  There will be a Parish Rosary at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Le Mars. Visitation will follow the Rosary. There will be a Scriptural Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m., all at the church. Visitation will resume from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Saturday at the church. All services will be livestreamed through the All Saints Parish website at www.allsaintslemars.org. Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials can be made in Mary's name to Gehlen Catholic School.

Mary Minette Brander, the daughter of Edward and Rose (Minette) Brander, was born on August 25, 1927, in Storm Lake, Iowa. Mary graduated from St. Mary's Catholic School in Storm Lake in 1945. She attended Buena Vista College, where she studied voice and foreign languages.

She was united in marriage to Carl O. Hartman Jr on February 25, 1949, in Storm Lake. They were blessed with one son, Carl O. Hartman III.

Before settling in Le Mars, Mary's husband's work took them all over Iowa. Carl was killed in a plane crash while piloting a plane on a business trip on June 21, 1961. After Carl's death, Mary finished her education at Westmar College in Le Mars and received her teaching degree.

She taught at Gehlen Catholic School for over 30 years. After retiring from teaching, she worked at the Le Mars Public Library for several years. She then returned to Gehlen as a volunteer aide, where she worked for 20 years. For her years of dedication and service to Gehlen Catholic, Mary was awarded the Peter Gehlen Award.

She was an active member of All Saints Catholic Parish – St. Joseph Church, where she was a sacristan, sang in the church choir, and was a cantor and Eucharistic minister for many years. She belonged to Wayne Mitchell's Chamber Choir and sang with the Plymouth County Singers. She was an active volunteer in several different organizations throughout the community of Le Mars. She also was named 'Teacher of the Year,' and she received the 'Women of Excellence' award for the Siouxland area. She also loved to read and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and cryptograms.

Survivors include 2 grandsons: Carl (Danielle) Anthony of Detroit, MI, and Alex Hartman (Dylanna Thrasher) of Sioux Falls, SD; a sister-in-law, Esther Brander of Spencer, IA, and several nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Hartman Jr; her son, Carl Hartman III; her parents, Edward and Rose Brander; her father and mother in law, Carl Sr and Bertha Hartman; her siblings: Lorraine (Glen) Peterson, Ward Brander, Lloyd 'Tubby' (Esther) Brander, Edward Brander, Rose (Chuck) Mills, Agnes (Gerald) Scott, Alan Brander in infancy, and Dorothy Brander in infancy; and a sister in law, Alice Hartman.