Rozella Catherine (Booge) Hartman

Rozella Catherine (Booge) Hartman, 88, of Pomeroy, Iowa passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan Center in Manson, Iowa on Friday, June 2, 2023.   

She was born September 3rd, 1934, on the family farm in Palmer, Iowa and was the third of six children of Albert and Anna (Kutz) Booge. Rozella graduated as Valedictorian from Palmer High School in 1952. She married Melvin Hartman in 1955 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Palmer. The couple lived in Palmer until moving to the family farm outside of Pomeroy in 1966.  

Rozella was never afraid of hard work.  She worked in Fort Dodge and Pocahontas as a telephone operator; in Palmer as a bank teller; in Pomeroy as a school bus driver, and on the family farm. Rozella also worked at the Pomeroy Care Center where she developed her love of nursing. In 1987, she graduated with honors from Iowa Central Community College as a Registered Nurse and was honored with membership in Phi Theta Kappa.   Following graduation, Rozella worked as a RN at the Pocahontas County Hospital for many years; a job she loved.  

During their retirement years, Melvin & Rozella spent several winters in Arizona. She would come back home and then work at the Pocahontas hospital so that other nurses could go on vacation.  The couple enjoyed playing cards with their card clubs, riding bicycles, Mel’s trike, and golfing. Another love of Rozella’s was music.  She encouraged all of her grandchildren to take piano lessons and family gatherings were always filled with singing, piano playing, harmonicas and accordions.  

Among her survivors are her husband, Melvin; daughters Donna (Bill) Fink of Carlisle, IA; Denise (Bill) Barrios of Des Moines, IA; Jerry (Laura) Hartman of Creston, IA; grandchildren Jason Clark, Jamie Clark, Alison (Justin) Rudolf, Jefferson Fink, Theo (Grace) Hartman, Savannah (Harrison) Suhre, Olivia Hartman, Elijah Hartman; 6 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great granddaughter.  Her sister Bonnie Hammer, brother Bill (JoAnne) Booge and Mary Ann Booge also survive her. She was preceded in death by her son Jeffery Hartman; parents Albert and Anna Booge; sisters Marge Lampe, Joann Kramer; brother Alan Booge.  

As a celebration of life, the family would like you to think of Rozella and Marge playing their accordions and singing harmoniously with Joann in heaven!!! 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rozella Catherine (Booge) Hartman, please visit our floral store.