Lillian May Hartley

Lillian May Hartley was born September 2, 1914, in Hiteman, Iowa, to Wilford Cleveland Hartley and Anna Matilda Anderson Hartley. She joined three siblings, Frances Lucille, age 4, Clarence Raymond, age 3, and Corinne Vernice, age 2. Lillian’s father was a farmer who also raised livestock. Her mother was an accomplished seamstress, sewing much of the clothing for the family as well as for paying customers. Lillian had many chores on the farm, including milking cows and picking strawberries and taking them to town to sell. Lillian’s mother passed away when Lillian was 13. Lillian attended Hiteman schools and graduated from Hiteman High School in 1932, the last class to graduate before the school was closed.

Shortly thereafter, Lillian moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where she worked, attended the School of Comptometer, and loved to go dancing. After receiving her certificate in comptometer, she went to work for Green Colonial in Des Moines. Lillian took the Civil Service test, passed with a high score, and was asked to come to Washington, D.C., to work at the Pentagon. The building of the Pentagon wasn’t complete, but she started work there and ate her lunch outside with the workmen. She lived with three other girls caddy corner across from the Washington National Cathedral, where she attended church. Two of the girls she lived with were sisters, and their father had been an aviator in the Marine Corps. The two girls talked about the Marine Corps incessantly.

At that time the Marines weren’t taking women but, as soon as they did, Lillian took the Marine Corps physical, passed, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on February 24, 1943. She was part of the first class of women Marines andwas sent to Hunter College in New York for basic training. Twelve of the women, including Lillian, were selected for 1st Sergeant School in Philadelphia.After lst Sergeant School, Lillian was sent to Washington, D.C., where she was one of only two women who made Sergeant Major. While in Washington, D.C., Lillian attended night school at Benjamin Franklin University, eventually graduating with a bachelor’s degree in commercial business, with majors in accounting and math. Lillian was also an accomplished markswoman, and received many awards for her marksmanship.

Lillian was in the Accounting and Paymaster Division of the Marine Corps. Among her duties was to figure the pay entitled to each person and pay the Marines. The Marine Corps sent her to various locations, the first being Quantico, Virginia, where she paid mostly the men who were 1st Sergeants. This base was 35 miles from her home in Falls Church, Virginia. Then the general over the paymasters asked Lillian if she would consider a transfer to Treasure Island, California, as paymaster to pay troops coming back to the states on ships in the Pacific and service personnel on the Marine bases there. She said she would go if he would bring her back to Washington, D.C., in two years. She was required to strap on a .45, go to the bank and get cash, and set up a station near the docks to pay the troops and find lodging for them. Lillian was one of the first two women to make the rank of Warrant Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and the first in the paymaster field. The general kept his word and transferred Lillian back to Washington, D.C. She was eventually transferred back to Treasure Island again, where she retired with the rank of Warrant Officer 3 in February, 1965, after more than twenty-two years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps. Lillian always said she thoroughly enjoyed her time in the Marines and the young men who served under her were like family to her.

Lillian eventually sold her home in San Mateo, California, and had a new home built in Prescott Country Club, Arizona. Shebelonged to the country club and enjoyed playing golf at various courses in the area. She had a motor home and enjoyed traveling, stopping at various RV parks. Lillian enjoyed animals and had a number of dogs, including a blonde cocker spaniel, Cindy Sue, and two Lhasa Apso dogs in succession, named Shanda andSharee. Lillian sold her home in July, 1992, and moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to be near her only living sibling, Corinne, who passed away in 2003. In August, 2013, Lillian moved to Bickford Cottage, an assisted living residence in Urbandale, where she lived until her death.

Lillian is survived by one niece, Carolyn Lethcoe Hollingworth (David), a niece-in-law, Betty Lethcoe, three grand nephews, Robert Hollingworth (Donita), Mark Hollingworth (Cara), and Lance Lethcoe, all of Des Moines, Iowa, and one grand niece, Lori Lethcoe Lum (Art) of San Diego, CA.; also two great grand nephews, Ian Hollingworth and Adrian Hollingworth, and one great grandniece, Aleighla Hollingworth, all of Des Moines. Lillian’s nephew, John Lethcoe, passed away in 1993.

Funeral services will be held 12 p.m. Saturday, June 1, 2013, at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 3, 2013 at Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Adel with full military honors.

Condolences for the family may be offered online at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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