Mildred Hartsfield

Mildred Hartsfield, 92, a longtime resident of Columbia died Friday, May 2, 2025 at the Goldton Assisted Living and Memory Care in Spring Hill.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

A native of Loretto, TN., she was the daughter of the late Albert Joseph and Frances Meyer Neidert. She was one of 11 children.

As a young child, began drawing and painting. She often designed paper dolls for herself and her sisters. Her artistic talent was quickly realized by her parents and teachers. Instead of listening to the teachers while in elementary school, she would sit in class sketching and drawing. Upon graduation from high school, she was recruited to paint religious scenes on the interior panels of caskets at her father’s casket company in Loretto. After high school, she painted the ceiling of St. Joseph Church in which she was lifted on scaffolding four stories high to do the work.

In 1955, she married Wayne Hartsfield and moved to Shelbyville, TN. to begin their long life together. Her professional career began when she found employment at Josten's Graphic Arts Division. The owner of the company was impressed with her talent and she was hired right away. This work was difficult and expensive as it involved etching on steel plates and using acid while doing the work in reverse. She drew various buildings in the U.S. for Christmas greeting cards, professional football stadiums, hospitals, and monuments such as the St. Louis Arch. Mildred's freelance work outside of Josten’s included painting the 1964 Walking Horse Champion to be displayed during Celebration Week, fishing lure for a tackle company and even termites for a pest control company. Some of her works also included Johnny Cash's recording studio and the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1974, Mildred moved to Columbia and established the Lemon Tree Gallery. Although she could paint anything, she specialized in landscapes and local scenery. She loved the Columbia area and all of the historical homes and buildings. She initially painted the Polk Home, Courthouse, the Old Depot and turned them into prints. She also drew pictures of mules for Mule Day, Maury Regional Hospital, CSCC campus, downtown Columbia, area churches and even the cover of the local phone book. One of her paintings she was most proud of was Haynes Haven in 1986 for the Saturn Corporation. It was presented to the president of the company and displayed at the Troy, Mi. corporate office.

Mildred donated an oil painting of Stillhouse Falls in order to help preserve the falls for future generations. The painting was purchased for $20,000 and the proceeds went toward the preservation. This was a proud moment for her as she loved nature and the outdoors.

Mildred's artwork and prints are currently on display at Baxter's Mercantile of Columbia.

In addition to her parents, Mildred was preceded in death by husband, Wayne in 2014; sisters, Clara Craig, Ruth Kessler; brother, Raymond Neidert; and grandson Calvin Jenks. Survivors include son, Darrel (Anita) Hartsfield; daughter, Carla (Norm) Jenks; grandchildren, Bradley (Jennifer) Hartsfield, Miles (Lauren) Hartsfield, Mark (Megan) Hartsfield, Daniel (Ashley) Thompson, Bridget (Tyler) Boshers, Corey (Lauren) Jenks, Andy (Tiffany) Jenks, Ryan (Savanna) Jenks; and seventeen great grandchildren; sisters, Margaret Bledsoe, Marie Feldhaus, Edith Martin, Karen Beister; and brothers Carl Neidert, Malcolm Neidert, and Royce Neidert.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Goldton and Bluesky House Calls for their excellent and compassionate care during the final years of Mildreds life. Donations in memory of Mildred may be given to the Maury County Art Guild or the Alzheimer's Association.