Hartke family recalls Kennedy encounters

The Culpeper County Democratic Committee joined the nation in remembering Sen. Ted Kennedy at its regular meeting Thursday night in the Depot.

The storied and lifelong Democrat from Massachusetts, brother of slain President John F. Kennedy, died Tuesday following a year-long battle with brain cancer.

Culpeper County Democratic Chairwoman Anita Hartke was especially pensive at Sen. Ted Kennedy’s passing, remembering all her encounters with the Kennedys growing up as the daughter of the late Sen. Vance Hartke, an anti-war Democrat from Indiana.

Sen. Harkte served with all three Kennedy brothers in Congress and seemed to form strong bonds, from Anita’s telling.

Hartke also took a moment for politics.

“I am not afraid to stand alongside the great charismatic leaders such as Sen. Kennedy to support health-care reform,” she told the Democratic committee Thursday.

Hartke has said she plans to seek Virginia’s 7th District seat in 2010, going up for a second time against longtime incumbent Republican Eric Cantor, minority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Democratic Committee also talked about its aspirations to help bring about accessible and affordable health care and received a presentation from a representative of President Barack Obama’s “Organizing for America” initiative.

At home in Amissville in northern Culpeper, Anita’s mom, Martha Hartke, said she has been in tears over the passing of Ted Kennedy. The ailing 89-year-old widow recalled sitting next to ted Kennedy’s brother, JFK, at a campaign speech in 1960, dining with Jackie O. and riding in the funeral train of Ted Kennedy’s other brother, Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968.

Mrs. Hartke lamented the passing of “this remarkable family.”

“It really is Camelot in so many ways, and now the youngest brother will be laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery, the pantheon for our nation’s heroes.”

In Boston, hundreds of mourners lined the sidewalks Saturday near Mission Church, where a funeral Mass was held for Sen. Kennedy.

Afterward, the senator’s body was whisked away in a motorcade to nearby Hanscom Air Force Base, to be flown for burial next to his brothers.

Sen. Hartke, a World War II veteran, rests in a grave on an adjacent hill next to the Kennedys.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Check out next week’s Star-Exponent for more on the Kennedy-Hartke connection.