Ann Stillwell Golterman Hitzmann
Ann Stillwell Golterman Hitzmann died on June 18, 2014 in Austin, Texas. She was 84. Ann was born in Kirkwood, St. Louis, Mo. on October 12, 1929 to Margaret Donan and Herbert Golterman. She recounted many memories of her positive and loving family.
Margaret’s brother, and Ann’s uncle, Jim Donan, was an executive for Standard Oil. Ann’s first cousin, son of Jim, Holland “Hollie” Donan, was a football lineman for Princeton. He was known for giving his team pep talks, and achieved college football Hall of Fame status. Later, he played for the New York Giants. Her father, Herbert, began a fence building business in St. Louis, which was known as Herbert Golterman Company, later Golterman and Sabo, Inc., and today, G&S Acoustics. The Goltermans were involved in many civic and cultural endeavors, including the creation of the MUNY, the Municipal Opera, in St. Louis, which was the first, and is the oldest outdoor theatre in the United States. The MUNY was orchestrated by Ann’s uncle, Guy Golterman. Guy was a prominent lawyer and civic leader in St. Louis, during the 1900s.
Ann remembered going to Uncle Guy’s house where family would sing and play instruments. She described her Golterman family as positive, gregarious, and adventuresome. As a child, she took tap, and was given lessons in violin and piano. Ann said she did not like lessons, but would much rather go to the opera with her father, Herb. Her mother, Margaret, was often entertaining at home. She recalled dances her mother arranged for her and friends at their home on Jefferson Avenue. As a child and teenager, Ann had fond memories of traveling by train with her brother, Ed, and mother to Woods Hole, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They stayed with her Donan side of the family, elder cousin, George, and his daughter, and cousin, Gladys Green. They had a grand time and memories of the Cape were some of her best. While in Cape Cod, much to her mother’s dismay, Ann would suntan. Ann enjoyed having a really dark tan. At Treecourt, the neighborhood pool in Kirkwood, she wore a white bathing suit, which she said complemented her tanned skin. Ann referred to her suntanned skin as her “dirty tan.”
Ann graduated from Kirkwood High School; and in 1950, from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., a two-year college, at that time. Her first job after college was a librarian. Ann married Douglas Ramsey Hitzmann on November 17, 1953, and moved to Dallas. In the early years of their marriage they traveled by car from Dallas to Mexico City, Mexico twice to see the horse races. Ann and Doug settled in University Park. They raised two daughters, Margaret Louise and Cecilia Ann. She paid it forward in the Park Cities and Dallas communities by being a member of the League of Women Voters, a founding member of the Stephens College Alumnae Club of Dallas and a Girl Scout leader. Ann was a past president of the Dallas Stephens College Club. She believed in raising money for charities and walked door-to-door collecting money for cancer and heart disease. She taught preschool at the Park Cities YMCA and the University Park Methodist Church. In the 1970’s, she was recruited and worked with Hugh Washburne at the election polls, held at Highland Park High School. Ann volunteered over 10,000 hours at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.
After teaching preschool, Ann continued to care for children up into her mid-70s. For this endeavor, she is most known and loved, having raised many a child in the Park Cities. Ann is preceded in death by her husband, Douglas Ramsey Hitzmann. He died three months prior to her on March 4, 2014. Ann is survived by her only sibling, Edward Golterman, daughters, Margaret Horn and Cecilia Lynch, grandchildren, Sam and Kate Horn, Philip and Camille Howells, sons-in-law, Jim Horn and John Lynch. Ann is survived by numerous Golterman, Goltermann, and Donan cousins.
Ann believed one should lead by example. She believed in acknowledging folks and making them feel at home. Ann made a friend wherever she went.
The family would like to thank San Carlos Street and Potomac Avenue neighbors, assisted living staff at the William R. Courtney Home in Temple, Texas, and the Christopher House of Austin, Texas, who provided hospice. In lieu of flowers, please give back to your family and community.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., July 21, 2014, at St. Michael Chapel, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 8011 Douglas Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75225. The reception will follow the funeral at the church. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery in West Plains, Mo.
