Howard Stuart Hartley

Howard Hartley, beloved spouse of the late Cathy Rose Ann Hartley, passed away on February 11, 2022, at the age of 80 years.

On April 8, 1941 in the little village of Hartleyville, Alberta, Gilbert and Roumelia Hartley welcomed their seventh child, a son, whom they named Howard. This handsome boy was born with club feet and when he was just one month old his parents took him to Calgary for his first of many meetings with specialists.  The next six years included surgeries on both legs, casts for four months, leg braces in the daytime, and daily hours of massaging exercises patiently performed by his Mother.

His years in school were challenging, in part, because he suffered from severe hay fever and pneumonia which caused terrible pain and left his lungs weakened. Nonetheless, he learned to do regular farm work, especially enjoying the machinery. He learned to drive trucks when twelve years old. The farm was large and work was steady.
But also, there were plenty of nieces and nephews eagerly seeking his attention and benefiting from his patient teaching skills.

Howard enjoyed the dating years with memories of sleigh riding, dancing, picnics in Waterton, and parties!
In 1963 he went with his parents on a cross country trip. Some of the highlights were seeing the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, NY, visiting Niagara Falls, and the Ford Foundation Center where he said, “It was marvelous to see all the inventions of Ford and Edison”!  They visited Mount Rushmore and he also remembered other historic sights.
In December of that year he was called to serve a Building Mission in the Hawaiian Islands.  His Dad and Mother were also called to the same area at that time and the three of them departed in January of 1964.  They travelled first to Salt Lake City where they were met by his mother’s brother, Hugh B Brown, and treated to a farewell dinner and party with all the relatives in the area.  Howard and his Uncle Hugh had a very close relationship.  They soon arrived in Hawaii where they enjoyed many marvelous experiences.  Howard worked hard on several building projects in this beautiful paradise as he fulfilled an honorable mission.  He was drawn to return in later years with his sweetheart, his wife, Rose Ann!
Rose Ann was a perfect compliment and companion to Howard. She loved him and he loved her! Their Eternal Marriage took place in February of 1976 and the reception was held in Glenwood. They glowed with happiness!
As Howard seemed to invent new ways to prod and tease her, she would sometimes patiently smile. She was more than able to manage his mischievous doings and he loved and appreciated her for it.
They enjoyed quiet times together. And they loved their many trips and cruises as well as their movie nights in High River.
Howard and Rose Ann were so excited to build their new home in the townsite of Vulcan. They planned and designed it together with heated floors, the ideal food storage room, and a garage which was unparalleled as the cleanest and most organized in all Alberta! He took great pride in the order he created there.  This same mindset carried over into his job as custodian of the Champion Ward building.  He was known as being meticulous and dedicated to the care of the Lord’s house.  Yet, he still was able to fit in time to drive combines for local farmers and seemed to return to his roots when spending seasons operating big machinery!

Howard loved to talk about important impressions and feelings he had. His understanding of the plan of salvation was deep and sure. He often spoke of his ancestors and looked forward to reuniting with them.  There is a glorious place prepared for this great man. Those who could see beyond his sometimes rough demeanor were the lucky ones!

A graveside service will take place on Monday, February 21 at 11:00 AM in the Vulcan Cemetery, with a memorial service to follow at Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home, 703 13 Street North, Lethbridge starting at 1:00 PM.

Live streaming of the service will be available, and a link will appear to access below this obituary at 12:50 PM on service day.