Welcome
On behalf of the family, I would like to welcome you to the memorial service for Mike Hartge. Your presence here is comforting to them.
Obituary
Michael Hartge, age 68, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Ohio Health Mansfield surrounded by his loving family.
Michael was born on October 21, 1957, in Shelby, Ohio, to Richard Eugene and Hazel Joyce (Ramey) Hartge. Michael was a lifelong Shelby resident, graduating from Shelby High School in 1975. He was a jack of all trades, but focused mainly on electrical engineering with his 20-year career at Bender Communications.
Michael was a family man through and through. He enjoyed the simple things in life, especially spending time with his family. His grandchildren were his pride and joy, and he cherished every moment with them. With an open and welcoming personality, Michael was someone people naturally felt comfortable confiding in and talking to. Blessed with a quick wit and a natural gift for humor, he was known as the family comedian-always ready with a joke to make others laugh and brighten their day.
Michael was also incredibly intelligent and loved to tinker. A genuine “MacGyver,” he had a remarkable ability to create something out of nothing and could fix just about anything. He had a deep passion for ham radio and was a self-taught meteorologist. Through his work with SKYWARN, he closely monitored weather patterns and was always ready to pass along information about incoming dangerous weather to help keep others safe.
He is survived by the mother of his children and lifelong friend, Donna Dorsey; his two children, Jessica (Travis Paynter) Hartge of North Fairfield, Ohio and Sonya (Brad Howell) Hartge of Shelby; four grandchildren, Dakota and Jerzee West both of North Fairfield, and Junior and Carter Chinn of Shelby; three siblings, Robert (Susan) Hartge of Shelby, Linda Hartge of Shelby, Judy Holmes of Mansfield; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and close friends who will miss him dearly.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved infant daughter, Valerie Hartge.
Announcement
One of the things that helps in times like this is to share memories about the person who has passed away. Mike was loved by many, and I am sure that your memories would be appreciated by all who are here. In a few moments, I will give you an opportunity to share memories.
Song 1 – Amazing Grace
Another thing that helps in times like this is turning our hearts to God. To help with this, let’s take our song sheets and sing What a Friend We have in Jesus.
Memories
The song we just sang reminded us that Jesus is a special friend to those who know Him. At this point in our service, I would like to offer each of you the opportunity to share a memory you have about Mike. He was a special man who touched many lives. Perhaps your memory of him will be a comfort to his friends and family.
Scripture – John 11:20-36
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
Song 2 – What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Message
Today is a sad day. We are here because a loved one and friend passed away before we were ready. Sadly, this is part of life that can’t be avoided. It happens whether we are ready or not. When someone dies, we feel at a loss for words. Our emotions are full and we shed many tears. The death of a loved one also brings up many questions such as “What happens after we die?” and “Does Jesus even care?” I will try to answer those questions in the next few minutes.
The Scripture passage I read earlier is part of a true story about Jesus. In that story, a close friend of Jesus became sick and eventually died. By the time Jesus got to the home, his friend had been buried for four days. His sisters were still grieving the loss and had questions for Jesus. They wondered if Jesus could have healed their brother and saved him from dying. But he had not. So, Jesus took the opportunity to talk with both of them and what He said to them will answer both of our previous questions.
What happens after someone dies?
The first sister’s name was Martha. When she heard that Jesus had arrived, she ran to meet him. Her immediate reaction was to tell Jesus that if He had been there, her brother would not have died. This is true. Jesus was not an ordinary man. He was God in the flesh. He left heaven and came to earth to live among us. And while He was here, He healed many people, gave sight to the blind, and even raised the dead. He could do this because He is God.
But Jesus brought up something very important. He stated that Martha’s brother would rise again. She knew that the Bible taught that all would be raised at some future time on Judgment Day. But Jesus gave her more information about the future. He told her that He was the resurrection and the life. He said that if someone believed in Him, even if He died, He would live and never die in the future. All of this was available to anyone who believed in Jesus. Martha believed in Jesus as the Son of God.
So, what happens after someone dies? Jesus said that anyone who believed in Him, even if he died, he would live. In other parts of the Bible, Christians are promised eternal life (John 3:16), a home in heaven (John 14:1-6), and a place where there is no more sin, sickness, or sadness (Rev. 21:4). But this is only promised to those who turn from their sin and believe in Jesus. Those who do not believe will not be forgiven and will face God’s judgment on the last day. This is why it is important to put your faith in Jesus.
Does Jesus care?
When the conversation had ended, Martha went back to her sister and told her that Jesus had arrived. Mary jumped up and quickly ran to Jesus. She was so overcome by her grief that she fell in front of Jesus and said, “If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died.” Then she cried for a long time. When Jesus saw her crying, he asked where her brother’s tomb was. But even He could not hold back the tears. The Bible says that Jesus wept. The people who were there noted how much he loved the man who had died.
When Jesus talked with Martha, He taught her to believe in Him to be ready for death. But for Mary, His response was quite different. He wept with her. Sometimes we get the idea that Jesus was just a teacher or a healer or the One who died on the cross for our sins. All of these things are true. But does He care about us? This event from the life of Jesus gives us the answer. Jesus cares. He cared for Mary and Martha and showed compassion for them as they grieved the loss of their brother.
Does Jesus care about you? Yes. How do we know that? Well, we see it in the fact that He wept when Mary was grieving the loss of her brother. But we also see it in another place in the Bible. In Romans 5:6-8, we read these words:
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We have all heard that Jesus died for our sins. But do we really understand that? We are the sinners He died for. That means, He died when we deserved God’s judgment for our sins. The Bible says that “all have sinned” and that includes both me and you. And those sins were against God. Our lying, hatred, lust, and wild living are all against God. And because of our sins, we were headed to Hell forever. But… Jesus still loved us and willingly went to the cross to die for our sins.
What now?
We have learned a few things from the Bible today. We’ve learned that Jesus cares about us. He loved us even though we are sinners. He cares for us and cared enough to take the punishment for our sins. We have also learned what happens after we die. For those who believe in Jesus, there will be a happy future in store. But for those who do not believe, there is a sad judgment in the future. I hope you will think about what you have heard today. Jesus cares about you and wants you to believe in Him. He’s already paid the price for your sins, now you must believe Him for yourself.
Closing Prayer