Mr. Hartje headed west with his family from Ohio following the stock market crash, arriving in Southern California in 1930. Mr. Hartje attended Hollywood High School, where he excelled at track, and spent his free time at the area beaches, where he honed his swimming skills to the point that he earned spending money diving for coins tossed from cruise ships at Santa Catalina Island.
In 1939 moved to Sitka, Alaska seeking a job in the construction industry. He met his future wife, Esther, there and they married in 1941. Mr. Hartje enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and the family moved to Portland Oregon just before he shipped out on the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill. He survived a kamikaze attack that killed 2,000 of his 3,000 comrades on the ship. He was discharged in 1945 and went to work as a sales manager for a trucking company. Inn 1955, Mr. Hartje was promoted to a job at the Oakland terminal, and the family moved back to California. In 1960 he took a job with Western Pacific Railroad, taking responsibility for the new service that "piggybacked" truck containers on rail cars. Summers were spent with his wife and two sons at the Putah Creek campground in Pope Valley. When the railroad restructured in 1974, Mr. Hartje took early retirement and moved with his wife to Middletown.
The Hartjes were ardent supporters of the Middletown Methodist Church, providing a $2500 loan to build the Thrift Shop. Mr. Hartje was also affectionately known in the church as "Bud Light" after he figured a way to light a window in the chapel that had been shuttered by an addition to the social hall next door. Mr. Hartje was active in the Middletown Lions. Mr. Hartje served as president and filled several other offices at the local club, as well as deputy district director. He was a 52 year member of the Free and Accepted Masons, receiving the highest award bestowed by the Masons, and a member of the Shriners.
In 1939 moved to Sitka, Alaska seeking a job in the construction industry. He met his future wife, Esther, there and they married in 1941. Mr. Hartje enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and the family moved to Portland Oregon just before he shipped out on the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill. He survived a kamikaze attack that killed 2,000 of his 3,000 comrades on the ship. He was discharged in 1945 and went to work as a sales manager for a trucking company. Inn 1955, Mr. Hartje was promoted to a job at the Oakland terminal, and the family moved back to California. In 1960 he took a job with Western Pacific Railroad, taking responsibility for the new service that "piggybacked" truck containers on rail cars. Summers were spent with his wife and two sons at the Putah Creek campground in Pope Valley. When the railroad restructured in 1974, Mr. Hartje took early retirement and moved with his wife to Middletown.
The Hartjes were ardent supporters of the Middletown Methodist Church, providing a $2500 loan to build the Thrift Shop. Mr. Hartje was also affectionately known in the church as "Bud Light" after he figured a way to light a window in the chapel that had been shuttered by an addition to the social hall next door. Mr. Hartje was active in the Middletown Lions. Mr. Hartje served as president and filled several other offices at the local club, as well as deputy district director. He was a 52 year member of the Free and Accepted Masons, receiving the highest award bestowed by the Masons, and a member of the Shriners.
Mr. Hartje headed west with his family from Ohio following the stock market crash, arriving in Southern California in 1930. Mr. Hartje attended Hollywood High School, where he excelled at track, and spent his free time at the area beaches, where he honed his swimming skills to the point that he earned spending money diving for coins tossed from cruise ships at Santa Catalina Island.
In 1939 moved to Sitka, Alaska seeking a job in the construction industry. He met his future wife, Esther, there and they married in 1941. Mr. Hartje enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and the family moved to Portland Oregon just before he shipped out on the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill. He survived a kamikaze attack that killed 2,000 of his 3,000 comrades on the ship. He was discharged in 1945 and went to work as a sales manager for a trucking company. Inn 1955, Mr. Hartje was promoted to a job at the Oakland terminal, and the family moved back to California. In 1960 he took a job with Western Pacific Railroad, taking responsibility for the new service that "piggybacked" truck containers on rail cars. Summers were spent with his wife and two sons at the Putah Creek campground in Pope Valley. When the railroad restructured in 1974, Mr. Hartje took early retirement and moved with his wife to Middletown.
The Hartjes were ardent supporters of the Middletown Methodist Church, providing a $2500 loan to build the Thrift Shop. Mr. Hartje was also affectionately known in the church as "Bud Light" after he figured a way to light a window in the chapel that had been shuttered by an addition to the social hall next door. Mr. Hartje was active in the Middletown Lions. Mr. Hartje served as president and filled several other offices at the local club, as well as deputy district director. He was a 52 year member of the Free and Accepted Masons, receiving the highest award bestowed by the Masons, and a member of the Shriners.
In 1939 moved to Sitka, Alaska seeking a job in the construction industry. He met his future wife, Esther, there and they married in 1941. Mr. Hartje enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and the family moved to Portland Oregon just before he shipped out on the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill. He survived a kamikaze attack that killed 2,000 of his 3,000 comrades on the ship. He was discharged in 1945 and went to work as a sales manager for a trucking company. Inn 1955, Mr. Hartje was promoted to a job at the Oakland terminal, and the family moved back to California. In 1960 he took a job with Western Pacific Railroad, taking responsibility for the new service that "piggybacked" truck containers on rail cars. Summers were spent with his wife and two sons at the Putah Creek campground in Pope Valley. When the railroad restructured in 1974, Mr. Hartje took early retirement and moved with his wife to Middletown.
The Hartjes were ardent supporters of the Middletown Methodist Church, providing a $2500 loan to build the Thrift Shop. Mr. Hartje was also affectionately known in the church as "Bud Light" after he figured a way to light a window in the chapel that had been shuttered by an addition to the social hall next door. Mr. Hartje was active in the Middletown Lions. Mr. Hartje served as president and filled several other offices at the local club, as well as deputy district director. He was a 52 year member of the Free and Accepted Masons, receiving the highest award bestowed by the Masons, and a member of the Shriners.
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