The Funeral Service for Elaine Bartling, 87, of Hettinger, ND will be held at 10;30am Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at the Hettinger Lutheran Church. Pastor Kathleen Dettmann will officiate with burial in the Hettinger Cemetery. Visitations will be Monday, September 8 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Hettinger Lutheran Church and one hour prior to the Funeral on Tuesday morning. A Gathering of Family and Friends will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Hettinger Lutheran Church on Monday evening.

Elaine Jean Sackman was born August 28, 1927 in Turtle Lake, ND as the only child of Julius and Olga Sackman. Her father Julius and family moved many times during her childhood due to the railroad business. She graduated from Jamestown High School and attended Concordia College. She earned her teaching certificate from Dickinson College and moved to Hettinger to teach in a rural school for 1 year and then fulltime at Bucyrus and Hettinger. Elaine had a knack for remembering the names of her students and would mention them to us frequently. While she was teaching in Hettinger she met the love of her life Charles Bartling and they were married on December 18, 1949.


Elaine and Charles had two children, Kari and Mark. Elaine stayed home with the children until they started school before going back to work. She worked as Deputy County Treasurer for 1 year and also worked many years at Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, the Hettinger Public School office and Hettinger Radiology as a bookkeeper. After she retired she volunteered at the school as a first grade grandma, the food pantry and many years as treasurer of WELCA. She was also very active with the Hettinger Lutheran Church.


Elaine faced many health challenges throughout her life which she was able to overcome. She was diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 70 but by this time it had already taken a major toll on her health. In spite of these challenges she still loved to travel with family and friends. She enjoyed playing bridge and being an active part of Hettinger. Elaine passed away on Friday, September 5, 2014 at Western Horizons Care Center in Hettinger.


She is survived by her daughter Kari (Dwight) Hix of Black Hawk, SD, her son Mark (Bessie) Bartling of Highlands Ranch, CO, her grandchildren Leah (Kelly) Lojka of Cheyenne, WY, Kelsey Bartling of Denver, CO and Ryan Bartling of Colorado Springs, CO. She has one great grandchild Kalea Lojka of Cheyenne, WY.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Bartling in 1973 and her parents Julius and Olga Sackman.

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting memorials be made in her name to the Hettinger Cemetery Association.