Steve Hartman

A Celebration of Life for Steve Hartman, 65, of Medora will be from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the HartCross Ranch North of Medora.

**Directions** From Medora, enter the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and enjoy the drive. Once you reach the turnoff for Cottonwood Campground at the Little Missouri River bottom, drive past the campground access approximately 1 mile looking for East River Road (Ranch Access) which turns off and heads north. Keep enjoying the beautiful badlands scenery and wildlife driving thru the park until you reach the end of the access road which turns to gravel that will take you out of the park. Once exiting the park across the cattleguard, travel down scoria road to the first right hand turn (approximately 1/2 mile) and head east until you see an old abandoned trailer house on your right hand side. Turn left (north) onto TR oilfield road, start counting your right hand turns and take the third right (and head straight east) less than a 1/4 mile in the HartCross Ranch.

Please let the Park official at the entrance of Theodore Roosevelt National Park that you are attending Steve's Celebration of Life Service and they will let you pass through the park at no charge.

North Dakota is mourning the loss of a true cowboy, husband, dad, brother, friend and so much more when he hung up his spurs Saturday, May 22, 2021 at the age of 65. Steve Hartman was born on February 25, 1956 in Carrington, North Dakota to Ray and Patricia (Stowell) Hartman. Steve grew up on the family farm north of Sykeston and completed his schooling through the 12th grade from Sykeston High School.

Steve has always been an active man. In his younger years Steve did everything from playing basketball & boxing in high school, helping his family on the farm, to training horses. He and his brother Russ used to team up at the Wells County horse racing track where Steve trained the horses & Russ would be the jockey in the races. They were quite the dynamic duo.

Steve decided to stop racing in the early 1980s. He sold his winning race horse for $25,000 in Chicago and decided to use this money to become a business owner. So Steve started Hartman Crane Service and worked in the oilfield for 16 years while he raised his family. In 1999 he sold his crane but remained working in the oil field and made it his life’s work.

In 1992 he met the love of his life, Connie where they hung their hats in Steve’s log home north of Dickinson. During this time, Steve & Connie purchased acreage north of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park where they set in a log cabin which eventually became their home in 2000. After 18 years of courtship, Steve finally proposed and they were married at the HartCross ranch in the badlands of North Dakota on their grandson Jace’s second birthday July 24, 2010.

For those of us who knew Steve, he was legendary with tall tales, nicknames like “Reverend Hartman” and a million smiles & jokes followed him in his travels. His gruff voice, firm handshake, & his strong presence was his calling card. Steve would help anyone who needed it & quick to show appreciation when he was on the receiving end. It’s honestly a shorter list of people he didn’t know than the ones he did, especially in the energy industry, where he worked his whole entire adult life.

Steve was an active lifetime member of the American Quarter Association; N.D. Thoroughbred Association (past president); ND Racing Commissioner; ND Cutting Horse Association; ND Team Penning Association; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and mentor & teacher in horsemanship for the incarcerated youths of Southwest Multi-County Correction Center.

He leaves behind his wife, Connie; his daughter Jamie (Ryan) Sorenson Bismarck, ND; his son Derrick Fargo, ND, grandson Jace, brother Russ of Hereford, AZ; sisters Trish (Dave) Greenwood Jamestown, ND; & Shelly (Chuck) Dahl Hazen, ND, father-in-law, Ray Kadrmas Dickinson, ND, sister-in-law’s Renee’ (Leonard) Hysell Mountain View, WY; Cheryl (Gary) Kohler; Jolyn Bliss; Mary (David) Ell; Susette (Keith) Ridl all of Dickinson, ND; brother-in-law Keith (Leann) Minot, ND with many numerous nieces & nephews and his grand-niece, Rayna, his special little cowgirl.

Steve is preceded in death by his loving parents, Ray & Pat Hartman, his sister, Joanne, his mother-in-law, Georgia & brother-in-law Kevin Kadrmas.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to The Ronald McDonald House. TRMH was one of Steve’s many favorite charities to donate to.