Sister Karen Jeanne Hartman, SFP

Hartman, Sr. Karen Jeanne, SFP Sister Karen Jeanne Hartman SFP, (Sr. Frances Marie) 89, passed quietly and gently into the heart of God on Sunday, June 29th, 2025. She was the second of six children, born to the late Frank and Catherine Rorick Hartman on April 26th,1936 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Karen had an early beginning with the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor having entered the Aspirancy as a sophomore in high school in 1951.

From early on, Karen held a desire to be a nurse which came to fulfillment when she graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Dayton in 1960. Her gifts for nursing were soon recognized and she went on to obtain her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Dayton. Just a few years later, she was encouraged to obtain her Masters in Nursing Administration from the Ohio State University.

Only in later years, Sr. Karen turned her interest to spiritual healing and obtained a Masters in Theology at Xavier University.

In the early decades of religious life, Sr. Karen devoted her energies in the field of Nursing covering the full array, from bedside care to directing care through administration in both hospitals and long-term care facilities. Sr. Karen was by nature a healing presence. Her generous gentleness and kindness were a balm to many.

In more recent years, Sr Karen was engaged in local Congregational ministries including: the direction of the SFP Associate Program, Franciscan Ministries for the Poor, and Peace and Justice with a centered focus on Human Trafficking and care for Incarcerated Women.

The life of Sr. Karen was consistently centered on the Will of God and prayer. Her last few years living with dementia proved to be a daily and total prayer, so representative of her life which was gift to God and others. Sr. Karen’s own words sum up her incredible life: “Each experience has shown me the goodness of God and how graced I have been to minister in so many capacities.”

Sr. Karen leaves behind her fellow Sisters, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, her sister, Madonna Roy, her devoted nieces and nephews and their families, also many friends. The Liturgy of Resurrection will occur on Tuesday, July 8th at 11:30 am at St. Clare Chapel. Wake begins at 10am. The Liturgy will be livestreamed via Facebook at Franciscan Sisters of the Poor/ US Area. In lieu of flowers, kindly direct donations to Franciscan Ministries, 110 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45215.