Happy birthday, Grandpa!

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Sunday, December 6, 2009

A Fergus Falls man with a lifetime of service to children got one big birthday surprise Friday afternoon.

Bernie Hartman is the assistant custodian at Morning Son Christian School, where he has worked for about five years. He’s also a regular volunteer at Morning Son, Cleveland and Adams schools, where he helps first through third graders with everything from math and reading to learning to tie their shoelaces.

In honor of Hartman’s eightieth birthday Friday, Morning Son staff and students held a surprise party in the school’s gymnasium, complete with hugs, cupcakes and kind words for the man known as “Grandpa Bernie.”

“In here I’m just a big grandpa to all the kids,” Hartman said after his party. “I’ve got about 400 grandkids” across the schools.

Curt Eide, custodian at Morning Son, says Hartman is always smiling. The students are drawn to him, sometimes bolting from their classrooms when they see Hartman passing in the hallway.

“He keeps a positive spirit no matter what happens,” Eide said.

Hartman has seen his share of difficult times. Unable to have children, he and his wife, Lois, were foster parents for more than 20 years. When Lois died several years ago, Hartman was devastated, coming to his church, Church of the Nazarene, for solace. On one occasion, Hartman was approached by a Morning Son teacher and a group of students, who prayed with him and offered comfort.

“The Holy Spirit stirred within me and he said, ‘Bernie, I’m not done with you yet,’” Hartman said.

His continuing service to children is a tribute to the commitment Hartman shared with Lois.

“The biggest part is fulfilling a dream my wife and I had of taking care of God’s little ones,” he said.

A member of his church’s missions team, Hartman has traveled with local teenagers on trips around the U.S., as well as internationally. While in El Salvador about three years ago, Hartman befriended a teenage interpreter who is now among his network of grandchildren. He is helping pay for her college education and purchased her a computer, allowing them to communicate via e-mail. The young woman and her family recently asked Hartman to join them in El Salvador for Christmas, an invitation which he accepted.

In good health, Hartman says his doctor tells him to keep doing whatever he’s doing. Hartman credits it to the kids.

“My heart feels like 50,” he said.