Iretta A Hartwig

Iretta Ann Hartwig, 87, of Port Huron died on Monday, September 3, 2018. She was born to the late Ford R. and Katherine E. (Ewing) Schmuhl on November 24, 1930 in Highland Park Michigan. Iretta graduated from Royal Oak (MI) High School and Wayne State University with honors, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary education. She did post graduate work at the University of Michigan.

Iretta married Elwin F. Hartwig in 1953 at First United Methodist Church in Royal Oak. She taught kindergarten in Royal Oak, Livonia and Port Huron. She ended her 35 years career in teaching with the last six years in 2nd grade at Howard D Crull.

She was a founding member of the Port Huron Little Theatre (now Port Huron Civic Theatre). She and her husband were avid theatre goers enjoying hundreds of plays around the world. They traveled to New York City regularly, attending the Shaw Festival annually in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario for 30 years and made occasional trips to Stratford. They saw theatre in London, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago among other places.

Her hobbies were decorative painting, home décor, sewing, knitting and many other crafts. She was an avid reader, enjoying British mysteries mostly. Computer skills became a new hobby, creating many graphic items. She also enjoyed the occasional game of Duplicate Bridge. She was a member for over 50 years for the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and over 60 years of the First United Methodist Church of Port Huron. She also loved her cats.

Iretta loved to travel. She has visited five of the seven continents around the world. She and her husband traveled on the QE2 and the Queen Mary, enjoying two summers in London and a cruise along the East coast. She visited Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean.

Iretta is pre-deceased by her husband, Elwin, who died May 26, 2011 and her daughter, Ellen Ann (Doug) Anderson on October 13, 2016. She is survived by her daughter, Kathie (Mark) Johnson of Spring Hill, Tennessee and her beloved grandsons, Raleigh, Garrett and Carter Johnson of Spring Hill, TN and Mark Gottschalk. She had recently moved to Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 7, 2018 at First United Methodist Church with visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. The Reverend LuAnn Rourke will officiate.

Burial will be in Lakeside Cemetery, Port Huron.

Memorials may be made to Blue Water Area Humane Society or First United Methodist Church, Port Huron.