Sister Anna Maria Hartman, MM

Born: August 23, 1928
Entered: October 5, 1946
Died: December 28, 2024

If one believes that there is a “waiting room for God,” Anna Maria was surely in it these last hard weeks. On December 28, 2024, the feast of the Holy Innocents, at 10:00 PM, her wish was granted and God took her home to heaven where she shares now in the eternal peace for which she longed. She was 96 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 78 years.

Anna Maria, born Nancy Judith Hartman, in Watertown, Wisconsin on August 23, 1928, and grew up in Juneau, WI. She was one of ten children of George and Edminnie Schrap Hartman. Her sister-in-law, Marilyn Hartman, is the only surviving member of Anna Maria’s generation, but many nieces and nephews knew and loved her.

Anna Maria’s childhood schooling was straightforward – primary school at the local Juneau elementary school, and high school at St. Mary’s Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; she graduated in 1946. As we have all come to know, Anna Maria was a very focused and determined woman. In her entrance process, she had wonderful recommendations from her parish priest and set off alone at 18 from Wisconsin to Maryknoll, entering on October 5, 1946. First profession was on April 6, 1949 and final vows at Maryknoll, New York on April 6, 1952. In that period, she received a Bachelor in Education from Maryknoll Teachers College and did a course in Gregorian chant at Manhattanville College in 1950.

Her long teaching career began as a founding member of what would become Colegio Monte Maria in Guatemala City with a kindergarten class from 1953-1955, then on to second grade, and later moving to upper primary. She was 5’ 10”, and said she spent these years “on my knees so I could look these little ones in the eye.” She moved to the Jesuit Boys School in 1964 and taught secondary English there. From 1965 to 1972, she was principal of a school in the Villa de Guadalupe area, founded by the Maryknoll Fathers – going from kids who had everything to kids who had nothing – she loved it. She also did weekend catechetical work in Jacaltenango – only accessible by horse! – and in El Salvador from 1973-1977.

From 1982-84, Anna Maria took courses leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching at Montclair State College, specializing in the teaching of philosophy for children. This was not Descartes or Kant, but teaching young people how to do critical thinking. She did teacher-training workshops in Chile two months of the year while she was working in Direct Mail at the Center and then led the Philosophy for Children program until 1987, writing articles and giving seminars on the subject in Chile.

At the same time that this ministry in Chile was seen to be solidly on its feet, the Congregation was exploring a new commitment in the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal. As discernment moved forward, education was named as the priority ministry, both in teacher training and in teaching in established institutions, and Anna Maria felt called to respond as she had the needed skills and was ready for a challenge. April 1, 1988, Anna Maria was assigned to Nepal.

To call Anna Maria a force of nature seems too soft: She herself said in her application to Nepal that “I tend to be a workaholic.” She was assigned with the first group to Nepal and immediately began teaching in the English language Institute (1988-1993), worked with Bhutanese refugees (1994), joined the Jesuit Formation Team for their candidates (1994-1999), and offered English workshops for teachers at St. Mary’s School and the Marianist Brothers from India (1997-1999). In all this time, she was filled with energy, linking with the Jesuits and the government, teaching classes, cooking in the house, and was instrumental in creating the sisters’ association in Kathmandu. Anna Maria was not only a superbly gifted teacher, she was a mentor and friend to those with whom she worked over the years, both in Latin America and in Nepal, and they never forgot her. Another way to say it is “large woman, large heart.”

In 1999, Anna Maria’s health was an issue, and her eyes were already giving her problems. But she was still able to be in active ministry and wanted a small community, so she transferred to West Haven, CT, where she taught Spanish to the permanent deacon candidates and English to many classes of adult Hispanic people in the parish. She stayed in West Haven until 2002 when her vision problems became a serious limitation for her and she returned to the Center and the Development Department’s Office of Creative Productions where she worked until 2006. From 2006 until 2014, Anna Maria was a volunteer – if one can call reorganizing the whole laundry a volunteer task; she also worked tirelessly opening, sifting, and routing all incoming mail in the treasury department.

Anna Maria started out living in Rogers, but as her needs increased, she moved to Chi Rho in 2017, and then to Eden in 2022. Her last months were hard ones and we give thanks to the staff of Maryknoll Sisters Home Care who lovingly tended to all her needs.

We welcome Fr. Dave La Buda, our Maryknoll brother, who will celebrate the mass of Christian burial for our Sister Anna Maria.