Ida Fern Hartzler was born Nov 5, 1921, at the home of Joseph Garfield Hartzler and Martha Heatwole Hartzler of rural Windom, Kansas to a family of two older brothers and two older sisters and later a younger sister. Ida passed away Sunday, November 6, 2022, in Hydro at the age of 101 years and 1 day.  In her preschool years, her father ran a steam-engine powered thrashing machine with a crew whom Ida did laundry. She also helped make 3 meals a day and a morning and afternoon snack, all prepared without electricity or running water, for the crew.

She accepted Christ around the age of 9 years and was baptized and joined the West Liberty Mennonite Church. That same year her father was called into the ministry and became the pastor of the same church.

Ida began first grade, at the age of 8, in a country school, located 1 and 3/4 miles from home, which entailed walking or riding a horse to school. Ida graduated from the 8th grade at the age of 16 years. Due to caring for her mother, Ida was unable to start high school until she was 19; therefore, graduating at the age of 22. After graduation, she worked at St Luke's Children Hospital in Kansas City. She later went to work at the Oxley cookie and cracker factory, and then as a domestic housekeeper in Wichita, Kansas.

Walter and Ida were married May 2, 1948, in the West Liberty Mennonite Church in Inman, Kansas.

Their first home was a 7 x 16 ft travel trailer, which was purchased to take a crew of Walter's two brothers and three of Walter's cousins, along with harvest equipment, starting in Hydro and ending in Montana. Ida fixed 3 meals a day for the crew of 6 without electricity while keeping all the laundry done. In 1950, they purchased 80 acres in rural Hydro that included an old house that became their home, raising their family on this farm, and where she lived until her death.

In 1951, Ida's mother became terminally ill and moved in with Ida to be cared for by Ida until her death, later that year. Joseph, "Grandpa Hartzler", remarried several years later. In 1963, Walter and Ida's brother Willard built a house in the yard for Grandpa Hartzler and stepmother, Laura (Lane) Hartzler. Ida helped care for Laura until her death in 1965. Her father continued to live in the house until 1978, when he passed away.

Ida enjoyed having a big garden, chickens, ducks and peacocks; all the while, taking meals to the field and always having 3 meals a day fixed at her home. Entertaining guests for meals was normal even without much prior notice. She also helped her father-in-law in the peach orchid, selling peaches to area customers, and was a regular janitor at the Pleasant View Mennonite Church to supplement their income. Ida served on various committees in the local church, the larger Mennonite Church, and was active in the Bible Memory Program and the Etc Shop in Weatherford. She enjoyed traveling with Walter, and mostly visiting her brothers and sisters in Canada and Oregon.

Ida is survived by two sons, Virgil and wife Meribeth, Dennis and wife Candace, both of Hydro; two daughters, Carolene Jackson and husband Bill of Weatherford, Oklahoma, Loretta Propps and husband Mike of Hydro, Oklahoma; twelve grandchildren: Chris and Kendra Slagell, Stacia Slagell and John and Sarah Slagell, all of Hydro; Matt and Chanda Jackson of Thomas OK, Justin and Stephanie (Jackson) Yoder of Hesston KS, and Matthew and Chelsea (Jackson) Villines of Weatherford OK; Niekie and Jordan (Slagell) Nel of Hydro, Kyle and Nikki Slagell of Weatherford OK, and Alison Slagell of Washington D.C.; Kevin and Missy Propps, Ben and Natasha (Propps) Warner, and Keith and Allison Propps all of Hydro, and twenty-eight great grandchildren. She was proceeded in death by her parents and stepmother; husband, Walter; two brothers, Willard and Clifford Hartzler; three sisters, Mildred Myers, Ethel Lind and Leona Sayer; and two stepbrothers, Paul Robert Lane JR and John Lane.

Memorials may be made to the Hydro First Responders and the Gideons.