
Dominican Sister of Peace Irene Hartman (95) died at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Great Bend, KS on August 17, 2017. She was born in 1921 to Eva Bull and Emil Hartman in Clonmel, KS. In 1939 she entered the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend, now the Dominican Sisters of Peace.
Sr. Irene held a Bachelor of Science in Education from St. Mary College in Leavenworth, a Master of Science in Education from Creighton University in Omaha, and a Master of Science in Theology from St. Xavier University in Chicago.
Sr. Irene carried out her ministry as a teacher and school administrator in schools across Kansas, with a brief stint in Lawrence, NE. After she left teaching, she spent time at the House of Praise, a prayer ministry in Great Bend, before moving on to parish ministry.
As part of her parish ministry, Sr. Irene had the opportunity to enjoy one of her great talents, writing. She served as a community historian, was a weekly contributor to the Southwest Kansas Register, and even helped a friend pen her autobiography. “Writing invigorates me,” she said. “It is there that I can claim my charism to fullest extent.”
Sr. Irene left a beautiful and visible legacy at the Larned State Hospital when she and Sister Mary Ann Klein created a set of liturgical tapestries for a chapel in the high-security Dillon Building of the facility. The two Sisters helped to create sacred and welcoming space for men seeking the peace of God.
In her preaching at the funeral Sr. Renee Dreiling remembered Sr. Irene’s love of learning – not only scholarly learning but practical things like how to cook and to bake. She enjoyed combining her love of religious literacy with her skill in the kitchen by hosting gourmet dinners complete with historical quizzes. Sr. Renee joked that she used to refer to Sr. Irene as the “party girl.”
Sister Irene was preceded in death by her parents and thirteen siblings. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
A Vigil of Remembrance and the Mass of Christian Burial were held on Tuesday, August 22 at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel in Great Bend, KS. Sister Irene was interred at the Sisters Resurrection Cemetery in Great Bend.
Memorial gifts in Sr Irene’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to:
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Office of Mission Advancement
2320 Airport Drive
Columbus, OH 43219