Mary Jane Hartman

She was born September 1, 1931 to Louise and Ted Wallace in Brookhaven, MS. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 51 years Charles Jackson “Jack” Hartman, their son, Charles Jackson Hartman, Jr. and her sister Maxine Davis. She is survived by her brother Robert Hue Wallace (Stella) and brother-in-law Julius Davis.

Mary Jane was raised in the Brookhaven area where she graduated from Brookhaven High School. After their marriage in 1948, she moved to Natchez, MS with her husband Jack where she lived most of her adult life. She was actively involved in her children’s upbringing. After her youngest child left home for college, she worked at the Natchez Charity Hospital as an X-Ray technician and later helped establish and run the children’s day care center at what is now known as Merit Hospital. In 2016 she moved to The Blake at Township in Ridgeland, MS to be close to her son.

Survivors include her son Oscar Hartman (Carol) of Madison, MS, three grandchildren (Britton Hartman (Sasithon) of Waimea, HI; Sara Gabbard (James) of Winter Haven, FL and Virginia Hartman of Los Angeles, CA) and five great-grandchildren (Brogan and Bryce Gabbard; Ama, Metta and Jackson Hartman) and numerous nieces and nephews.

Children were the great passion of her life. Known by her grandchildren, great-grand children and day care center kids as “Maw Maw”, she touched hundreds of children’s lives. It was common for adults to come up to her in later years and say “Maw Maw, you might not remember me but …..”. One lasting memory of Maw Maw is when school children visited The Blake and she was surrounded by children as they drew and colored pictures. They all left with a smile.

She was a founding member of Parkway Baptist Church in Natchez where she taught children’s Sunday School for three decades. Because of her strong Christian faith, she knew death is not an end, rather it is the doorway through which one leaves this earthly life and enters into the joy of God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.parkwayfuneralhomeridgeland.com for the Hartman family.