Merrill Hartman spent his life putting his faith into action. Now a group calling themselves “Friends of Judge Merrill Hartman” wants to create something positive, even from his recent death. And they’re inviting Merrill’s many Lake Highlands friends and admirers to join and help.
Before he died in October from Parkinson’s, Merrill worked tirelessly for the poor and downtrodden. In addition to establishing the South Dallas Legal Clinic, Merrill enjoyed helping with the Dallas Bar Association Home Project, which builds houses via Habitat For Humanity. Though his disease kept him from swinging a hammer, Merrill became the official photographer for the effort, documenting the work of the volunteers for the grateful families moving into the new homes.
Some of those attorneys are now organizing Merrill’s friends and admirers to construct a new Habitat home in his honor. “Judge Hartman was a hero in our community,” says the letter soliciting support on behalf of the mission, “and was well known for his devotion to his community, his church and to the legal profession. Thus, we feel that a fitting, lasting memorial to Judge Hartman would be to build a Dallas Habitat home as a memorial to his life and unparalleled support of those who need a hand.”
“Habitat for Humanity is not a give-away program,” stresses the attorneys seeking help with the project. “Selected, deserving homeowners make a down payment on their home through 400 hours of sweat equity” and make loan payments directly to Habitat. Eliminating substandard housing in Dallas’ poorest neighborhoods is an additional benefit to the community.
If you’d like to help, LH’s Greg Jensen is one of the lawyers taking the lead. You can email Greg here for more info, or mail a check to his home, 10142 Caribou Trail, 75238, payable to Habitat For Humanity, with Merrill Hartman on the memo line. In return, you’ll receive updates on the construction of the house and be invited to the dedication ceremony. But don’t expect that you and the other donors – or even Merrill – will be the day’s big honorees. In typical Merrill fashion, the people lifted up on ribbon-cutting day will be the hard-working parents and the delighted children who get to live together in the home.
