Daniel C. “Dan” Hartsburg, MGST, USAF, Ret., age of 71, of Trenton, IL passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at his home. He was born on November 25, 1952, in Linton, IN, a son of the late Delmar and Marjorie (nee Buck) Hartsburg.
In addition to Dan’s parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Judy, nee Lanning, who passed away October 28, 2015; his daughter, Debbie McCutcheon, who passed away August 17, 2013; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Cecil and Mollie Lanning; brothers, Richard and Dallas Hartsburg; sister, Darlene Newlan; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Vernon Detmer, Joyce Gilomen, and Kathleen Feldmann.
Dan will be missed by his current wife Julie, nee Detmer -Tebbe, of Trenton whom he married October 18, 2017 at Greenmount Church of Christ in Belleville; two sons, Nathan Hartsburg and Benjamin Hartsburg of Oklahoma City, OK; two grandchildren, Megan McCutcheon of Oklahoma City, OK and Caden Hartsburg of Trenton; Julie’s children, Brian (Tara) Tebbe of Pocahontas, Nicole (Jeremy) Gebke of Patoka, and Chad (Kammi) Tebbe of St. Rose; Julie’s grandchildren, Kaylei Tebbe, Jordan, Makayla and Alyssa Gebke, and Lane and Levi Tebbe; his brothers, Doug Hartsburg of Trenton and Dean Hartsburg of Greenville; Julie’s siblings, Dennis (Dorothy) Detmer of Breese, Mark “Tank” (Jenny) Detmer of Albers, Jane (Don) Eilers of Trenton, Kevin (Eric) Detmer of Rindge, NH, Carl Gilomen of Trenton, Dale (Geri) Demer of Breese, Al Feldmann of Breese, and Randy (Dianna) Detmer of Belleville; numerous nieces and nephews.
Dan graduated from Lebanon High School in 1970 and joined the United States Air Force. For Dan to join the Air Force, his dad had to sign papers for him to enlist, since he was only 17 years old. While in the military Dan traveled to several countries including Philippines Island, Korea, Germany, and many states in the United States. While in the Philippines Islands, Dan met his first wife Judy Lanning, who was also stationed in the Philippines Islands, originally from Oklahoma. Dan and Judy married in November 1975 while in the Philippines. Dan and Judy went on and had three children during his military career. Debbie McCutcheon (deceased), Nathan Hartsburg, and Benjamin Hartsburg of Oklahoma City, OK. His adopted grandson, Caden Hartsburg of Trenton (Dan and Judy adopted after his daughter Debbie passed away), and granddaughter Megan McCutcheon.
Dan retired from the United States Air Force in 1994 with the rank of Master Sergeant (MSGT). He later worked at Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC) as Comptroller in Oklahoma City, OK a non-profit organization that hired people with disabilities, since Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had a daughter with down syndrome. Dan retired in May 2017. In his earlier years Dan enjoyed golfing, but his favorite hobby was running. Dan ran in several marathons and half-marathons, as well as 10K’s and 5K’s.
Dan wanted to share this story. Dan first met Julie after he enlisted in the United States Air Force, while she was in high school. He came home on leave and was introduced to Julie by a friend. He told her that he did not think she would write to him while he was away. Julie wrote to him as she did with other guys that enlisted in the service. They wrote to each other often. In the fall of 1974, Dan found out that he was being sent overseas to the Philippine Islands. Dan wanted Julie to go along, but Julie’s parents would not allow her to go. Julie saw him off at Lambert Airport in St. Louis in November 1974. They continued to write to each other every day. They bought each other a cassette recorder and mailed the recorded cassette to each other so they could still hear each other’s voices. Dan called Julie on Saturdays at 3:00 in the afternoon CDT. She looked so forward to those calls. Suddenly everything stopped, the letters, the cassettes, and the phone calls. Then one day Julie got a call, Dan met another lady. This just broke Julie’s heart. She burned all the letters he wrote to her, burned all the cassettes except but one. Life goes on…right? Julie never knew what had happened to him. Many, many years passed. A friend of Julie’s told her that you can find anybody on Facebook. Julie did not know much about Facebook, but she thought she would give it a try. On Saturday, July 29, 2017, she looked on Facebook and found him. Julie accidentally friended him; she did not realize she did that. Later that day, Dan sent her a message saying he did not know her. Then asked if she was Julie Detmer from Aviston. She said yes, she was, he asked if he could call her the next day. The next day Dan called her, and they talked for hours. Dan could not wait to come and see her. Two weeks later he decided to drive to Illinois. That is the beginning of a rekindled love story.
Memorial Service will be Friday, July 26, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. at Moss Funeral Home in Breese. Interment with full military honors will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.
Visitation will be Friday, July 26, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Moss Funeral Home in Breese.
In lieu of flowers, plants, and other gifts, memorials may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 269, Residential Hospice, or Sugar Creek Ambulance and will be received at the visitation or by mail, Moss Funeral Home, 535 N. 5th, Breese, IL 62230, who is serving the family.
