Harold Malcom Cartwright

Harold Malcom “Hoss” Cartwright, age 92, of Derby, Kansas died on Tuesday, December 14 at the Derby Health and Rehabilitation Center. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 18 from 1 PM – 4 PM at the Smith Family Mortuary, 1415 N. Rock Road in Derby. A rosary will be said on Sunday, December 19, 7 PM at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at 123 N. Andover Road, Andover. Services will be Monday, December 20, 10 AM at St. Vincent de Paul, with burial in Eureka, Ks.

Harold was born to Jeremiah (1881-1961) and Thelma (Olds) Cartwright (1899-1968) on November 21, 1918 in Eureka, Kansas. He was raised with his brother Robert and sister Margie (both deceased) on the family farm north of Eureka.

He attended Emporia State Teacher’s College where he met Mary Gwendolyn (Gwen) Plain; they were wed October 12, 1940 and were married until Gwen’s death in 2001. Harold and Gwen have 4 children, Mary Lynn, H.D., Roxanne and Cathy; 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Harold’s childhood was spent among a close-knit extended family spanning a time from the end of World War I through the Great Depression of the 1930’s. His spellbinding stories of the people who sought food and comfort at the farm taught future generations that sharing was good and rightful part of life. Harold’s lifelong love of music and the guitar began here on the farm listening to his mother play the zither and his father play the piano. He often spoke of his father’s faith relating “Dad went to pray alone everyday at a special place on the farm.” He would also remember with fondness riding ponies in the Flint Hills, his Uncle Mac spinning tall tales and his cousins who worked and had fun together, laughing as he related memories of the family fishing holes, and adventures in treasured automobiles, a Model T Ford and a Whippet.

In 1942 Harold enlisted in the Army. Because he had been employed since 1939 at Stearman Aircraft Company, he asked to be a pilot but his hopes were dashed when he was assigned to the Pacific theater as a Mess Sergeant because he had taken a cooking class in high school. His guitar accompanied him to World War II and throughout his life was his constant companion. Wherever Harold went, there was music and laughter.

After the WW II, Harold continued his career in aircraft industry at Boeing in Wichita where he was employed for 42 years, retiring in 1981. Following retirement, Gwen and Harold built a home on the Augusta Lake large enough for all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, where Harold taught two more generations to fish and play the guitar, assuring that live music will always be a part of every family gathering. Watching his grandchildren play sports was another of Harold’s great pleasures in life; as he grew older he became more vocal in his judgments of both coaches and game officials.

In 2002 Harold moved to Derby, built another house and took an active role in the Derby Senior Center making many highly-valued friends.