Memorial Page

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In Loving Memory of My Husband
David Michael Bartley
Born January 11, 1948 Died November 24, 1995

I'd like to tell you a little bit about my life with this man I was married to for 27 years.... First and foremost he was my best friend...We did everything together as friends do and really enjoyed each others company.We had a wonderful marriage! We raised 2 children to adulthood an accomplishment we were both very proud of to say the least... Dave would have given me the world if he could, more than once he tried...Don't get me wrong we had the usual fights and disagreements that go with the territory, but no matter what we were always best friends......My love for him will never die....As I update this page It is December of 2007 and I just passed what would have been my 38 year aniversary. I go on and the pain is less but I still think about our life together every day. Life goes on ...

Dave grew up on a farm in Calhoun, Illinois. After enlisting in the Air Force, he was stationed in Tucson, Arizona in 1967. We met in 1967, I was age 15 and he was 19. We dated, and much to my parents dismay, fell in love and were married on December 2, 1968. Dave was a firefighter when we were married. As it turned out he made the Fire Department his career going back as a civilian once released from the Air Force. He spent his entire lifetime helping people. He worked his way up through the ranks and finally, a year or so before his death, was promoted to Assistant Chief..... There is a memorial to him at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base Fire Station, a plaque hangs in the ramada he built for his coworkers. This plaque honors his efforts to constantly improve the lives of his fellow firefighters.

At home Dave was a supportive and involved father, my best friend and buddie, an engineer, builder, plumber, mechanic, woodworker, gardener and anything else you'd care to name. During the time he lived he was constantly doing something. In 1977 he decided we could build a house. Over the next 15 years we designed and built 3 complete houses. When Dave decided he wanted to do something, he let nothing stop him...He had a drive and determination like I have never seen... If he didn't know how to do something he found out how and was never afraid to try... In 1993 we were finally able to afford to think about finishing our dream retirement home.... It was almost complete when Dave died. I will finish it myself now with the help of my family, it was our dream, and our dreams never die..........

His Journey's Just Begun

Don't think of him as gone away--
his journey's just begun;
life holds so many facets--
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
that we could know, today,
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost--
and he was loved so much....
by:Ellen Brenneman

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