Hartke, Charles A.

Born on May 7, 1944 in Effingham, and grew up on the Hartke family farm in rural Teutopolis, Ill. Chuck grew up in a large extended family that included five sisters and four brothers. He attended a one room school through fifth grade, then attended school in nearby Teutopolis. He married Kathryn, his high school sweetheart, in 1963, and also began farming on land his father gave him as a wedding present. In 1966 he was drafted, and served in the Army as a medic for two years, including a month in Vietnam. He returned to Teutopolis to farm and raise a family. In the 1960s, Chuck attended a zoning meeting, and soon found himself involved with community politics. Over time, his involvement in politics steadily increased. He served on the Effingham County Board from 1970-1974, became the Effingham County Democratic Party Chairman in 1978, and in 1985 ran for the 108th district in the Illinois House. He served in the House for the next eighteen and a half years, focusing much of his efforts on agricultural issues. For most of those years he was the vice chair of the Agricultural Committee, and one of its most influential member. In the fall of 2002 he advised the Rod Blagojevich campaign on agricultural issues, and following Blagojevich's election, Chuck served as the Director of Agriculture until stepping down in the spring of 2008. He discussed the impact of change on the farm during his lifetime, and many issues he faced while Director, including continuing budgetary challenges, an outbreak of Monkey Pox, soybean rust, Asian longhorn beetle and emerald ash borer. He was disappointed when he was unable to travel overseas to promote the state's agricultural products. He expressed optimism about the future of various bio-energy sources including ethanol, bio-diesel and bio-mass.