Judith Arlene Hartley

Judith Arlene Hartley came into this world on March 11, 1940 in Culbertson, MT as that was the closest hospital to the family home. She was the third of what ended up being a family with four children. Her parents, Harry and Esther (Schlenz) Hagen were farmers of the old school, eventually settling in Poplar, MT, to which Judy said, “If we lived any further east we would have been in Dakota.” The children grew up helping out on the family farm along with going to school in Sidney. Judy would tell stories about carefully cleaning out the plow blades from plowing over rattlesnake nests and hoping to find no living ones amongst the blades along with, as she said, “Falling off of every horse in Eastern Montana.”

Once she graduated from high school in Sidney she ventured off to college at the University of Montana in Missoula. While in Missoula she met and married Cal (Calden) Hagestad. She and Cal adopted Heidi (Scott), Hallie (Coy) and Hagen (Ana) to fill their family. After moving to Spokane they became foster parents and added Sharron, along with others who came and went, to the mix. Following her divorce from Cal, a battle with cancer and raising a house full of littles she went in to confront teen Sharron’s employer over a burned out light in the parking lot – and found the love of her life, Basil Eugene Hartley.

She married her Sweet Basil in 1975 and added Mark (Roberta) and Louise (Martin) to the fray. They moved from Spokane to Deer Park, WA and life on “The Farm”. Judy became quite well known as she was ahead of her time, teaching many classes about the joys of buying in bulk, food storage, canning, living off the land, baking your own bread – you name it, she did it! During their life in Deer Park Basil and Judy adopted Chris (Krista), making him a permanent part of the conglomeration. Judy became often known as Jude and made lifelong friends Clair Caves (Dort) and Dan and Carol Sturgeon.

In the mid-80’s Basil and Judy decided to take on another adventure and off to Alaska they went, family in tow. They lived in the Palmer area where Jude worked with many children during her time as an aide in the Palmer schools. During this time they made more friends with Jerry and Aideen Arthur continuing friendship for years.

As Jude was diagnosed with the start of the autoimmune issues that would plague her for the rest of her life she and Basil decided to move back “Outside,” as Alaskans say, first to Tucson, then back to Deer Park and Spokane for several years. They managed the Coeur d’Alene Plaza in downtown Spokane and knowing that they were getting older, Basil and Judy wanted to live within a 50 mile radius of the medical network of Spokane. Sitting 49.7 miles outside of Spokane they found the dot on the map named Sunset and took a drive. They found the house and even more importantly, friends. Greg and Muriel Jordan won the award of “Best Neighbors Ever” and were welcomed into the family. Jude and Basil bought Hartley’s Wheel Inn in Steptoe, serving meals to many locals and folks passing through, made the school lunches for Steptoe school children and were very community involved in St. John and Palouse area events. Jude participated in the St. John Garden Club, ran her own statice growing business, gave grandchildren rides while driving harvest trucks for the Jordans and found no end of things with which to fill her time.

When Basil passed in 2002 Jude stayed in Sunset for a while longer and then moved back to Spokane, living by Clair Caves again. She volunteered up a storm, working at the Southside Food Pantry and Sacred Heart volunteer desks with Clair to fill up her time. She had adventures, including a trip to Hawaii to visit school chum Mary Knutson, cruising with Claire and just enjoying life in general. At the time her ex-husband Cal became sick she began to be his caregiver and following his passing moved into his mobile home in Post Falls.

Jude lived in Post Falls for a number of years, during which her health started to decline so that she was no longer able to be involved in things as she had been. Following a health crisis she moved to the Brookdale facility in Coeur d’ Alene, where she became active once again. She led the daily seated exercise class and was the favorite BINGO caller in the facility, as her voice could be heard even by those who had hearing issues, as well as was appointed a welcomer on the Newcomer Committee. On Christmas Eve 2023 she was taken ill with a cold, or so we thought. She collapsed on February 1, and a diagnosis of acute, aggressive, untreatable leukemia was issued. She was able to move back to her Brookdale home with hospice care. Judith left us one month shy of her 84th birthday on Saturday, February 10th and entered her heavenly reward, mostly getting to see her Sweet Basil once again.

Judith Arlene Hartley was predeceased by her parents, Harry and Esther (Pat) Hagen, older brother Jerry (Tom) and his wife Alice, younger brother Jack, brother-in-law Joe Murphy, husband Basil, grandson Joshua Cooper. She is survived by sister Janet Murphy; children Mark (Roberta), Sharron, Louise (Martin), Heidi (Scott), Hallie (Coy), Hagen (Ana), and Chris (Krista); grandchildren Brandi, Asia (Dave), Dienne, Jacob, Christina, Amanda (Rick), Ross, Carly (Trevor), Cassie, Micheal, Brandon, Jordan (Jeremy), Logan, Jack, Seth, Ashlynn, Taylor, and Cameron; great-grandchildren Lillian, Isabel, Brayden, Brooklyn, Brennan, Breia, Rory, Riley; many friends, cousins, and a plethora of people whose lives Jude touched while she was here on Earth.

Graveside services will be held St. John Cemetery, 11851 SR 23, St. John, WA 99171 at 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 27th with Deacon Chalo Martinez officiating. A potluck reception will be held at Eccles Hall, 9752 SR 23, St. John, WA 99171 following. Memorials may be made to the Saint John Garden Club, c/o Kathy Gibson, 204 South Margin, St. John, WA 99171.

She will be forever missed.