Herman was the oldest of the 13 children born to Henry and Mary (Haake) Bartels, on their first farm in Jefferson County, Nebraska. He was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church, having been baptized (7 Apr 1889), confirmed (15 Apr 1903), married (10 Nov 1912) and buried from there.

He and his wife Frieda (nee Endorf) had four children: Loretta (who married Walter Drees), Leonard (who married Lareta Greim), William (who married Leona Burstadt), and Lela (who married Harold Bauer).

His death was reported in "The Daykin Herald" on 26 Nov 1937, page 1:

Death of Herman Bartels
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Herman Bartels, for many years a resident of south of Tobias, died Monday night, Nov. 22, at his home, four miles north and 1 miles west of Daykin. He was about 49 years old .
Funeral services will be held at the family home at 1 o'clock this Friday afternoon, Nov. 26, and at 1:30 at Zion Lutheran church.
He was a son of the late Henry Bartels, and is survived by his wife and two sons, Leonard and William, and two daughters, Loretta and Lela; also by his mother, Mrs. Mary Bartels, and two sisters and seven brothers.
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His obituary was published 3 Dec 1937 in "The Tobias Times", page 1:
Herman Frederick Bartels, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bartels, was born near Daykin, Jefferson county, Nebraska, on the 25th day of March 1889. Sometime after his birth his parents moved to a farm southeast of Tobias. He attended the Zion Evangelical Lutheran school and was confirmed in 1903.
On November 10, 1912 he was united in marriage with Miss Frieda Endorf, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Endorf, sr. This union was blessed with four children, two sons and two daughters. After his marriage he settled cm a farm southwest of Tobias 'where he lived for 25 years.
Several years ago his health gradually failed and in spite of all that could be done, his condition continually grew worse. He passed away Monday evening, Nov. 22 at 9:40 at the age of 48 years, 7 month and 27 days. He was a life-long member of Zion Lutheran church, where the funeral services were held Nov. 28 at 1:30 p.m., Rev.-W. O. Nau officiating. Interment was made in Zion's new cemetery.
The bereaved are his widow, Mrs. H F. Bartels; two sons, Leonard and William; two daughters, Loretta and Lela; his aged mother, Mrs. Henry Bartels; eight brothers, Ernest, Fred G., Prof. John Bartels, Lincoln, Kas., Henry, Paul, Emil, Theodore and Edwin; and two sisters, Mrs. Hulda Obermiller [sic-Obermueller] of Lincoln, Kas., and Miss Hattie Bartels, and a host of friends.