Ruth Hartman

Ruth Frances Hartman was born Ruth Zimmer on Dec. 25, 1921 (yes, Christmas Day!), at home, in Reading, Ohio. At age 91, she still lives independently in her home in Reading. She has lived in Reading all of her life -- except during World War II, when she so proudly served in the U.S. Navy WAVES.  After the war and her service in the military ended, she returned to Reading, where she married William Hartman and raised two children. Ruth was the oldest of five children. During the Great Depression, her mother suffered ill health. There were no social safety nets then, and Ruth had to drop out of high school to help take care of her younger brothers and sisters. Ruth was -- and still is -- A very intelligent, resourceful, ambitious and hard-working person, so having to leave high school was a heart-breaker. However, it was not uncommon for children then to have to stop their schooling to help at home...

To Read more about Ruth Hartman and her experiences in the 

WAVES click on the Ruth Hartman tab at the top of the page.