Dr. John G. Den Hartog, age 89, went to be with his Savior on Palm Sunday April 14, 2019 at Agrace Hospice Care in Fitchburg, WI.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 1, at 11:00 am at the chapel at Oakwood Village followed by a light lunch (6205 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI 53705).
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Dr. John G. Den Hartog’s name may be made to BRIDGE Ministries, 6019 McPherson Rd. Ste. 8, Laredo, TX 78041 (www.bridgeminlaredo.org). Please share a memory at www.CressFuneralService.com
He was born October 26, 1929 to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Den Hartog in Hospers, IA.
He went to Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, the university of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, and spent two years with the Navy and two years with the Marines as a corpsman. He finished premed at the University of Iowa, went to the University of South Dakota for two years of medical school and finished medical school with honors back at the University of Iowa. During his time in the Marines he married nurse Marilyn Haeffle.
After medical school he interned and took a residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.
In October 1963, Dr. Den Hartog, Marilyn and their two-year-old son Daniel went to Eritrea/Ethiopia for medical mission work with the Othodox Presbyterian Church. A hospital was built in Ghinda, Eritrea where Dr. Den Hartog treated many patients. Another son, Steven, was born in 1964. They spent eight years there when a civil war began with Ethiopia making it impossible to return.
They returned to Hastings, MI and Dr. Den Hartog worked as a surgeon at Pennock Hospital for 20 years. They retired and moved to Holland, MI then to Oakwood Village in Madison, WI five years ago.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Marilyn; sons Daniel and Steven; sister Corrine; six grandchildren Peter, Dietrich, John Paul, Joshua, Anna and Sophie and many nieces and nephews.
