Margaret L. Hartley

1915 – 2013

Margaret L. (Hardwick) Hartley was born on Jan. 30, 1915 in Los Angeles, CA, to William N. and Alberta Hardwick. In 1916, when Margaret was one and a half, the family moved back to Idaho. They settled in Jerome which was just getting started at that time. Margaret’s parents were pioneers in helping this new area get started and she grew up there. Upon graduating from high school Margaret attended the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho in Pocatello where she completed two years and attained a provisional teaching certificate. In 1936 she married Harold D. Hartley, and they moved to American Falls where Harold managed the Boise Payette lumber yard. Margaret taught school for a time at the small Fairview country school near American Falls, and in 1955 she began teaching full time by accepting a position at the Indian school on the Fort Hall Reservation where she taught the early elementary grades. The next year Margaret began teaching in American Falls where she worked until 1963. During this time she completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Idaho State University by going to summer school and night classes.

While living in American Falls she enjoyed camping and fishing with her family in the Wood River valley during the summers. She was also involved doing various hobbies such as ceramics.

When Harold retired they moved to Boise where Margaret continued teaching first grade at Monroe Elementary in the Boise School District for 17 years. During this time she attained a master’s degree in reading education from Boise State University. After retiring in 1980 she and Harold traveled in the west until his health deteriorated. Harold died in 1991 and Margaret was able to expand her travels by taking cruises to Panama, the Caribbean and Hawaii. She also took four trips to Europe where she visited Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt and London. In 1992 Margaret moved to the Willowbrook Retirement Community.

Margaret was an avid bridge player, having been conscripted to play “fourth” by her parents when she was ten. She played all her life finishing at the Boise Bridge Club where she played duplicate for several years. Margaret was an 80 year member of P.E.O. (Chapter E, Jerome; U, American Falls; BC, Boise), Delta Kappa Gamma, and Hillview United Methodist Church in Boise.

Margaret died on July 3, 2013 at the Bonaventure Assisted Living facility in Boise where she had lived for the last year and a half. She is survived by her two children, Helen Ann Chapman (Clarence), White Bird, and Mac Hartley (Janice), Meridian; four grandchildren: Chuck Chapman of Franktown, CO, and Meg Priest, Amy Malloy and Susan Ochoa, all of Boise; ten great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, July 19, at Hillview United Methodist Church, 8525 W. Ustick Road, where she was a member since 1991. Cremation is under the direction of the Cloverdale Funeral Home. Inurnment will be in the Jerome Cemetery.

Thanks go to Havenwood Caregiver Services and Bonaventure Place for their caring service during Margaret’s final years. Memorials may be made to the Idaho Youth Ranch.

Thanks for reading!

Read more in this week's print edition.Subscribe Today!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *