William Earl Hartman

William Earl Hartman was born in Shelton, Washington on February 26,1946 to Arma Staley and William Hartman. Bill’s dad was a Chief Boatswain’s Mate in the Navy and whenever he was on deployment Bill and his mother lived with his grandparents Doty and Richard Staley in Shelton. As the family grew they would visit their grandparents every summer. Some of Bill’s fondest memories were of the times he spent with his grandparents at their cabin in the woods with no running water or electricity. Bill had a passionate love for nature as a child and spent many hours playing in the woods and in the creek that ran in front of the cabin. Bill lived in many different places growing up as his father was reassigned to different bases: Hawaii, where his brother Bob was born, Alaska, Chico, where his sister, Joellen, and youngest brother, Jim, were born, and South Carolina and Florida. After graduating from Chico High School, he followed his father into the Navy where he worked as a Torpedoman’s Mate on the USS Jouett and the USS Dixie. He served in active duty in Vietnam, returned to Chico, attended Chico State and graduated with a Master’s degree in Biology. During that time, he worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service. He worked several years as a state Game Warden, based in Port Huemene in Southern California, until he was hired fulltime by the U.S. Forest Service, as an engineer, a surveyor, and a law enforcement officer on the Plumas Forest. His family owned an almond farm in Chico where Bill helped out during harvest season every fall. It was during that time in 1990 that Bill met Toni Ingravallo on a blind date that his brother, Bob, and sister-in-law arranged. They were married three years later in October, 1993, and continued to live in Chico, where Bill commuted to Quincy on Monday mornings and home to Chico on Thursday nights. In 2006 they moved to Yreka, Ca. when Toni was appointed pastor of the Yreka United Methodist Church. Bill loved living in Yreka! On warmer mornings, he loved sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee, enjoying the beauty of Mt. Shasta while watching wild turkeys, jackrabbits and deer in the field next to the house. He spent many hours playing his banjo on that patio while enjoying God’s creation! Bill was a kind, compassionate man of quiet, gentle, inner strength. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1993 and has faithfully followed and served Him ever since. Bill is survived by his wife, Toni, his step-children, whom he adored, Dr. Roselyn Estep of Chico and Nicholas Estep (Kyle) of Pasadena, sister, Joellen Petlin (Jim Petlin), brother, Jim Hartman, brother and sister-in-laws, Peter and Sheryl Ingravallo and Paul and Grace Synold, several nieces and nephews and his beloved dog, Maizy Jane. Bill went home to the God he deeply loved on July 14, 2017. His Celebration of Life will be August 26th, 1:00pm, at the Yreka United Methodist Church, 502 N. Fairchild St. followed by a reception at the church.

William Earl Hartman

February 26, 1946 - July 14, 2017