Obituary of Earl Vernon Hartz

Earl V. Hartz Funeral Services for Earl Vernon Hartz, 85, formerly of Newton, IA, will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Newton. A visitation with the family will be held Friday at Pence-Reese Funeral Home from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Burial will be in the St. Paul Cemetery, Lacona, IA at 3:00 pm. Earl V. Hartz, the son of Ernest Julius and Dora Rose (Langebartels) Hartz, was born March 4, 1924 in rural Lacona, Iowa. He attended the Walker School in Warren County. Earl had served his country with the US Army, during World War II. On October 2, 1949, Earl was united in marriage with Audrey Marie Borchert at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lacona. They lived in Knoxville, prior to moving to Newton, IA in 1951. Earl was employed by the Maytag Company for 38 years. He retired from the Dryer Assembly Department in December 1987. Audrey preceded him in death on Dec. 12, 1990. Earl had devoted his life to his family and friends, and was a Charter member and officer of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Newton and served on the board of Willis Day Care Center. In 1996, Earl married Erika Burkhardt-Hansen, an avid hiker like himself. Earl and Erika attended church at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, in Tucson, Arizona. Earl died on Saturday morning, January 16, 2010 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tucson. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Audrey; his daughter Joan Elaine in infancy; two brothers and their spouses: Arthur Hartz and Ivan Hartz; and two sisters and their spouses: Hilda Stearns and Frieda Schrader. Those left to honor Earl's memory include his wife Erika; his sons: Vernon Lynn (Deborah) Hartz of Tucson, AZ and Myron Earl (Cheryl) Hartz of Prescott Valley, AZ; step-son Richard (Letty) Giessuebel of Tucson; his four grandchildren: Molly, Ethan, Laura and Lisa Hartz; his four step-grandchildren: Andrea Barker and Ariel, Logan & Tanner Giessuebel; his brother Virgil (Grace) Hartz of Newton; his many nieces and nephews; and many good friends.