Jomarilyn (Gartner) Hartke

Jomarilyn Gartner Hartke, 90, of Litchfield, Illinois passed away peacefully at home the evening of May 18, 2026. Born March 19, 1936, to Orin K. and Helen R. (Westhoff) Gartner of Litchfield, she had two siblings, Dr. James Gartner and the late Judith Gartner.  She graduated from Litchfield High School in 1953. On July 18, 1954, she married Howard E. Hartke, also from Litchfield, at Zion Lutheran Church. She is survived by Howard and their children Lynn K. Hartke (John Ward), Rick H. Hartke (Cathy Whitson), and Becki A. Hartke (Benjamin Cawthra), and one grandson, Graeme G. Huntley.

A career educator, Jomarilyn felt that her generations of students were like her own children. She received her BS in Elementary Education from Blackburn College and her MS in Technology Instruction from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She started her teaching career with the Panhandle Community School District, Raymond, Illinois and went on to spend the rest of her career with the Litchfield School District. She taught third grade and kindergarten and served as the Librarian for many years at Sihler Elementary. She also taught at Colt, Russell, and Madison Park, and went on to be acting principal at Sihler, principal at Russell, and finished her career as principal at Madison Park and as the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, playing a key role in bringing technology into the Litchfield elementary school system.  

Mrs. Hartke was active in her church, Trinity Lutheran in Litchfield. She served on the church board for several years and a variety of roles as president, treasurer, and secretary. She was also involved with Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA), organizing charitable activities for the group to support the church’s worldwide mission.

Jomarilyn was a loving wife to her husband Howard for more than seventy-one years. They enjoyed a quiet life on their Litchfield farm and attended St. Louis Cardinals baseball, Bradley University basketball, and St. Louis University basketball games. In retirement they took several worldwide trips and delighted in spending time with their children and grandson.

Funeral services for Jomarilyn will be held on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Pastor Ken Bergo will officiate. Burial will follow in the Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Litchfield Student Education Foundation, P.O. Box 102, Litchfield, IL, 62056,  Trinity Lutheran Church, 23132 Airport Trail, Litchfield, IL, 62056, Litchfield, or St. Jude’s, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105. 

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