John Gartman 11/27/1992 -1/3/2007

Funeral services for John Gartman are set for 10:00 AM at the First Baptist Church in New Summerfield with Rev. Donnie Sadler officiating.  Burial will follow in McDonald Cemetery in New Summerfield.  Visitation will begin on Friday, January 5, with family receiving friends from 6 PM to 8 PM at the funeral home.

He was a student at New Summerfield.  Was very active in church, and had been on a mission trip to Mexico.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Pamela Rose Gartman; grandfathers, Tedd Dragg, Milford Gartman and Frank Shulla.

Survivors include his father, James Wesley Gartman; brothers, David Gartman & Kyle Gartman; sisters, Jacquelyn Rose Gartman, Jamie Gartman, and Christina Gartman; grandparents, Annie Gartman, William Olmstead, & Christina Shulla; several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Pallbearers will be Joe Gartman, Freddie Gartman, Richard Pilgriam, James Shipp, Terry Metcalf, Little Joe Gartman, and Brandon Gartman.
 

Information from Autry Funeral Home

Somber New Summerfield

By Jim Goodson

editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com

NEW SUMMERFIELD - About 150 mourners came to First Baptist Church in New Summerfield Thursday night to grieve for their loved ones Michael Smith, 26, Robert Loughmiller, 16, and John Wesley Gartman, 14. The young men were killed Tuesday night in a plane crash near Armstrong, Texas in Kenedy County. “The community is hurting, but the people are coming together to do what they need to do,” First Baptist Church Pastor Donny Sadler said. “We are actually holding up pretty well.” The church will be open for anyone wishing to talk to a pastor or anyone else who can help with their grief until 7 p.m. Friday. Visitations begin at 6 p.m. at Autrey Funeral Home (the young men’s obituaries are on page 3 of today’s Jacksonville Daily Progress).

Many people availed themselves of the opportunity to talk openly about the hurt they feel for the loss of Smith, Gartman and Loughmiller during a service at the church that began at 7 p.m. Fifteen Baptist pastors from churches throughout East Texas attended the service and will be available to help mourners during the trying days ahead, Rev. Sadler said.

The young men were all from New Summerfield and members of the church and its youth group, which Smith led. Smith was the son of Joe and Betty Lou Smith of Jacksonville, owners of Joe Smith Plant Farm.

“The Smith family goes back several generations in Cherokee County,” Rev. Sadler said. Friends stayed long after the service was over Thursday night to console each other. At the time of the accident, the plane was traveling from Weslaco to Jacksonville. Authorities believe the airplane crashed at approximately 9:30 p.m. The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time.

John Wesley Gartman

Services for John Wesley Gartman, 14, of New Summerfield, will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, at the First Baptist Church of New Summerfield with the Rev. Donnie Sadler officiating, under the direction of Autry Funeral Home of Jacksonville. Burial will be at McDonald Cemetery.

John died Jan. 3, 2007, in Kenedy County. He was born Nov. 27, 1992, in Rochester, NY.

He was a student and a member of First Baptist Church of New Summerfield. He was very active in the church and involved in a mission trip to Mexico.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Pamela Rose Gartman; and grandfathers, Ted Dragg and Milford Gartman and Frank Shulla. Survivors include his father, James Wesley Gartman of Fort Worth; brothers, David M. Gartman of Palmyra, NY and Kyle R. Gartman of New Summerfield; sisters, twin Jacquelyn Rose Gartman of Palmyra NY; Jamie L. Gartman of Palmyra, NY; and Christina E. Gartman of Jacksonville; grandparents, Annie Gartman of New Summerfield; William Olmstead of Rochester, NY; Christina B. Shulla of Palmyra, NY; several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Pallbearers include Joe Gartman, Freddie Gartman, Richard Pilgriam, James Shipp, Terry Metcalf, Little Joe Gartman and Brandon Gartman.

Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 5, 2007, at the funeral home.

Information from The Jacksonville Daily Progress