Jean Ann Hartmann

Dad's reflectionThe light is dimmer today. Why you ask? Jean Hartmann passed away on June 2nd. A light that lead to kindness, understanding and hope no longer shines on this earth. Jean was 77 years old and died at home surrounded by family after a two year battle with breast cancer. Her belief was that the purpose of her life was to use her God given talents to make the world a better place. Her family thinks she was successful.She was my wife, inspiration and rock for 55 years. She was mother to our ten diverse children. Three of them homemade and seven adopted. The adopted kids came from Oklahoma City, 'El Salvador, Texas and Korea. They are black, brown, white and yellow. We were a "rainbow coalition" before there was a "rainbow coalition." Jean was an adoption advocate who led by example. She was also a grandmother, great grandmother, faithful Catholic and registered nurse. She was a teacher, school nurse and was a St.Eugene school board member. As a teacher, she was particularly proud of the life skills course developed at Classen School of Advanced Studies and teaching English to Hispanics in the amnesty program. She received honors and was designated School Nurse of the Year as well as a woman of achievement by her church.Jean was a surrogate mother to numerous foreign exchange students including a present assistant to the President of the European Union. She took in pregnant girls that needed a place to live during their pregnancies. She also mothered kids that needed everything from her mentorship to a place to live. She will be missed and remembered by all who were exposed to her light and warmth.Jean's challenge:Look around your world and find something that needs fixed and try your best to fix it.