Kim Hartshorne–The Music Moved Him
Today we went to a funeral in New Jersey for my Uncle Kim. As we all age, and time marches on we notice that we go to more and more of these. Seeing family meet their ends brings me to think about Nathan and Greta and the other babies who are bringing up the rear of the family. Each funeral presents a chance to look at the person’s life in total, guided by those who were close enough to give the eulogies.
The service was in a woody, small Episcopal Church, in Bay Head NJ. Later we went to the Yacht Club where we had lunch, enjoying seeing relatives and old friends, connected through Kim, who had departed.
It was a still day, and there were men in a boat anchored off shore, fishing, or just sitting, and everywhere boats were tied up, and some passing listlessly by.
My father Nathaniel Hartshorne talked about Kim’s writing a novel when he was eight years old. And how when he was a soldier in World War II, he helped decifer a code that let the Allies know about an approaching group of Panzer tanks, and he was awarded a bronze star. Dad was eloquent, and talked about what really moved Kim–It was music. He was a professional musician for a while, but didn’t like the hours so he gave it up. He moved down to Bay Head later in life, and was married for 32 years to Tina. Later Chris Hartshorne took the floor, and dispensed with his script. He talked about show business, and music, and riding to the dump with his dad in their old Willys Jeep. Kim Hartshorne lived from 1920 until July, 2005. Rest in peace, uncle.
July 21, 2017 @ 8:56 pm
Hello, I just read the above to my mother, Ann Corson Ellis Powel, who attended a wrestling match many years ago with Kimmy’s mother. She said they both watched briefly before turning their backs on the writhing bodies. My mother is now 96 and I care for her in the same house she’s lived in since 1954 on Bainbridge Island, WA. She grew up in Red Bank, attended Rumson and Miss. remembersPorters schools. She also remembers “little” Nathanial.
It’s so funny what triggers these memories. I was reading to her about a pro wrestling event coming to the area, which did not interest either of us, when she popped up with “one of my old beaux was a wrestler. Kimmy Hartshorne (which she proceeded to spell and pronounce for me). So, I looked him up and read the above to her. She is amazed to be able to find anything on him and is asking about a number of her old N.J. buddies as well as her family.