Henry Hartzog, Jr.

Boyd Hartzog went to be with his Savior on Friday, June 27, 2025. He was 78 years old.

Boyd was born in Enterprise, Alabama on September 29, 1946 to Henry Boyd Hartzog, Sr. and Hilda Blackmon Hartzog. In addition to his parents, He was preceded in death by his brother, Roy Gene and baby sister; his in-laws, Tarver and Ara Bowden and sister-in-law Elaine.

Boyd is survived by his wife and love of his life, Sheila Bowden Hartzog, son, Eric Hartzog (Libba) and daughter, Gina Hussey (Mark); two grandsons, Cody Long and Dalton Myers, as well as a host of people that he considered his family. Those special family by heart include Jessica Totten Gillis (Chris), Maci & Wyatt Gillis and Sara Totten Messer (Seth).

Boyd served his country in the Army National Guard until retirement in March of 1995 when he retired as a Staff Sargent with the CID Unit out of Montgomery, Alabama. He started his military service in the U.S. Coast Guard but quickly decided his lack of swimming skills required a change and he served the remainder of his 30 years with the National Guard. He was a Rifle Expert and fixed wing mechanic with the Guard. He took those mechanic skills with him to a job at Ft. Rucker but soon felt the call to serve the State of Alabama as an Alabama State Trooper. Boyd was a skilled traffic homicide investigator figuring out complex measurements (without the use of computer programs). He was told on many occasions he couldnt be promoted or transferred because he was needed in traffic homicide too much. He was always happy to help the new guys double check their calculations and was one of the first investigators to actually use a computer program to assist in speed and skid calculationsbut he always double checked the programs with pen and paper.

Most of all, Boyd loved serving His God. He was a chaplain with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team and for the Alabama State Troopers. He enjoyed working with Children and Senior adults. He especially enjoyed his Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting with a group of Senior Adult Women while at Lee Street Baptist Church.

Boyd loved his wife and family well. His ring-tone for Sheila was Ill Go to my Grave Loving You by the Statler Brothers. He definitely lived out that song. If he could tell you one last thing hed say, Get right with God and if you already are, tell your family so that they have the assurance they will one day see you again in Heaven.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in the chapel of Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home in Geneva, AL with Rev. Bruce Williams officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Flowers will be accepted, or donations may be made to the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home.