OTTAWA, ILL. — Funeral services were conducted March 31 for La Salle County Farm Advisor Jeffrey M. Hartman, who died from cancer on March 27 at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Chicago. Burial took place at St. Anthony Cemetery in Atkinson, Ill.

At his death, Hartman had been the director of the County Farm Bureau for the past 20 years, following the retirement of long-time director Frances Bybee of Ottawa. He also served as manager of the annual La Salle County 4-H Fair.

Before arriving in La Salle County, Hartman had served as advisor with the Warren Henderson County Farm Bureau in Monmouth, Ill., and with the Clark County Farm Bureau in Martinsville, Ill. He recently observed his 30th anniversary with the Farm Bureau organization.

Filling the vacancy at the agency can be hard, noted La Salle County Farm Bureau President Monty Whipple of Ottawa, who commended Hartman for being a good, faithful and conscientious manager with the ability, education and experience to handle directorship of the agency.

“For one thing, when Jeff was carrying out an assignment, you didn’t have to keep returning to check and see that the work was being correctly done,” Whipple said. “He was that kind of person. He just went ahead and carried it out to the finish, and you knew it would be done right.”

Whipple said Hartman’s knowledge and expertise in the field of agriculture was a boon to the local Farm Bureau and its membership, and his cheerful demeanor was a welcome addition to his work. He said Hartman had also constructed a good working agenda for the agency this year that takes into account the spring and summer months.

“Jeff was a good man,” Whipple said. “He will be missed, not only by his young family, but by the Farm Bureau membership and by the community.”

A member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ottawa, Hartman also participated in community functions, including his serving as a coach for Ottawa Youth Football and the Ottawa National Little League. He served on the Ottawa Economic Development Committee and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Council for La Salle County.

Born in Geneseo, Ill. on Nov. 13, 1962, he was a graduate of Annawan High School in Annawan, Ill., Blackhawk Junior College in Moline-Kewanee, Ill., and he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Finance at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

Hartman is survived by his wife, Janet Van De Voorde Hartman whom he married on May 26, 1990, and their two sons, Alex and Blake, both of Ottawa. Other survivors include: three sisters, Janet (Tom) Haines of Aledo, Julie (John) Verbeck Garrett of Annawan, Jean (Jack) Syller of Moline; brothers Jim (Becky) Hartman of LeRoy and John (Jackie) Hartman of Springfield; and his mother-in-law, Roberta Van De Voorde of Annawan.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Doris Van Vooren Hartman; a brother Jay in infancy; father-in-law and brother-in-law Howard Van De Voorde and LeRoy Verbeck, and nephew Joel Hartman, according to The Times of Ottawa.

Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa was in charge of arrangements. The online guest book can be reached at MuellerFH.com