Petersburg Observer, 21 Mar 1949

George Ortman, Retired Farmer, Dead At 79

George Ortman, well known retired farmer, died at his home in Atterberry at 12:30 Monday morning March 21, after an illness of several years.  Mr. Ortman was past seventy-nine years old.

He was born in Iowa on February 2, 1870, the son of John and Caroline Hostic Ortman, but spent most of his life in Menard County where he was engaged in farming for many years, until his retirement a few years ago.  He spent most of his life in the vicinity of Atterberry and Oakford, except a few years, during which he and Mrs. Ortman lived in Greenview.  Only recently moving from Greenview to Atterberry.

He was married on Sept. 25, 1895 to Miss Lula Watkins, of near Atterberry, and to them were born six children, of whom four survive.  They are:  Mrs. Lorene Atterberry and Mrs. Jessie Simmering Springfield: Daniel of Havana and George K. of Petersburg.  Two daughters preceded him in death.  They were Mrs. William Nies of Port Angeles, Wash. and Mrs. Herman Kaiser of Greenview.  He is survived also by sixteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. Anna Becker of Maquoketa, Iowa.  Three sisters and four brothers preceded him in death.   

Funeral services were held at the Thompson-Harms & Hurley Funeral Home at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, March 23 conducted by Rev. Arthur Reiss of St. Johns Evangelical and Reformed church, Greenview, and burial was in Oakland cemetery.  Pallbearers were Gifford Ortman, Sam Ortman, Noah Bonnett, Paul Bonnett, Lester Bonnett and Frank Becker.

Submitted by: Pam Ross