The Wandering Family of Samuel Isaac and Mary Naomi (Estep) Hartman (Originally Published Aug 2020)

 

Samuel Isaac Hartman, and his wife Mary Naomi "Oma" (Estep) Hartman moved around quite a bit. According to Tom Aden, their great grandson, Sam and his sons, would move to a piece of land and clear it (remove the trees). They would sell the lumber, and then move on to a new place. That was difficult and dangerous work 100 years ago.

Sam first was married to a woman named Maggie May Hager. The couple had one son, Derek Barkley Hartman, in 1894. In about 1895, Sam and Oma Estep were married in Monroe County, Missouri. They had 11 children, 7 boys and 4 girls. By tracking them in the US Census records, they were living on land in Carroll, Texas County, Missouri in 1910. In 1920, they were in Piney, Texas County. In 1930, they were living in Mill Spring, Wayne County, Missouri. Then, in 1940, they were in Ozark, Texas County, Missouri. I assume they moved around a lot in between the census years, clearing land and selling lumber as they went.

In the photo above, the little girl in the checked dress on the right is my great grandmother, Nelle Naomi "Nellie" Hartman (later Holland). We called her "Mom Holland." Sam's son from his first marriage, Daryl, is standing in front of the window. Oma married Sam when Daryl was very young. Then, about every two years for the next quarter century, she had another baby. I can only imagine how busy she was each day caring for all of the children and her household. I admire women like this. She didn't work outside the home, but she sure worked!

The following photo was reportedly taken after Samuel's death.