BROWNSVILLE – Beloved husband, father and papa, lovingly surrounded by his family, Daniel Austin Hartsook, age 77, peacefully went home to be with his Lord on Sept. 9, 2020.
Daniel was born on Dec. 18, 1942, in Mount Vernon, to Earnest and Pearl Hartsook. He was the youngest of 10 children. Raised on the family farm, Dan credited his upbringing to his older sister Sarah, as his mom worked during his childhood at the state hospital.
Daniel attended Amity School grades 1-11 and graduated from Mount Vernon High School in the class of 1960. After graduation, Dan joined the U.S. Army, stationed out of Fort Hamilton, New York. He served six years in the Army and Army Reserves and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal and a Marksman Award. He also served on the Honor Guard. Dan later attended Pacific Lutheran University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1982.
Upon discharge from the Army, Dan returned to Mount Vernon and married Polly Moxley. Together they had three children: Robin, Brenda and Brad.
During his professional career, Dan worked for the Weyerhauser Company for 27 years. As his career progressed, the company moved him to numerous locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. After he retired as CFO from Weyerhauser in 1993, Dan opened his own travel agency in Salem, Oregon, which he ran for many years. After closing the travel business and retiring, Dan worked as a seasonal tax preparer for Jackson-Hewitt and H&R Block until 2020.
In 1988, Dan married Darlene DeWitt; and after closing his travel agency business, they moved back to Brownsville.
Dan became an active member of the Brownsville Assembly of God Church. He headed the men’s ministry along with the bus ministry. Dan loved the Lord and was known by all for his infectious laugh, sense of humor, good nature and endless generosity.
An avid sports fan, Dan's favorite teams included the Cleveland Indians and Browns, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls. He also played and coached softball for many years.
Dan is survived by his wife of 31 years Darlene Hartsook; children, Robin (Hartsook) Brown, Brenda Hartsook, Brad (Karen) Hartsook, Tracey (Ron) Mueller, Tammi (Rick) Morrow and Cheryl (Dave) Teifke; 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and sister Sarah (Bob) Fountain.
A private family graveside service will be held. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, a public memorial service will be held at a future date.
Memorial donations may be made in Dan’s name at www.gideons.org.
