Veteran Cliff Bartelt continues service as bailiff, judge advocate

Clifton Bartelt was a police officer in Batavia for one year and a police officer in Aurora for 30 years before taking a court security position from which he is retired.

Bartelt also is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam.

“My whole life has been protecting people who deserve to be protected, either in the military or in police work,” Bartelt said.

“I got shot at in Vietnam and I got shot at once in Aurora,” Bartelt said. “My partner and I were on the midnight shift and driving in a neighborhood with nothing going on in October. It was on the east side and it was cool out. I had my window rolled down about halfway and he had his rolled up. All of a sudden, he puts his arm over his head and lays down across where the radios were. I sat back. And then I saw a cylindrical hole in the window.”

Bartelt paused.

“I would have got it in the temple. He saw something I didn’t,” Bartelt said.

As a court security officer, Bartelt, 77, worked for Judge Robert Villa, who is now a chief judge. If there was a trial, Bartelt was in charge of the jury.

“I would take them back to a secure room and tell them what to expect,” Bartelt said. “When they would go into deliberation, I would check on them every once in a while while I stayed in the judge’s chambers. ... If they had a question, they would write it and I would take it to the judge. ... Then it becomes part of the case.”

Bartlelt said he advised jurors to use common sense.

“Listen to what you hear and based on your knowledge in your life and your life experience then you use that to talk it out with the other jurors,” Bartelt said he told juries.

Bartelt began with the Aurora Police Department in 1970 and received a commendation for outstanding police work in 1993 as denoted on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, nleomf.org.

He was president of the Illinois Police Association and an associate member of the Kane County Chiefs of Police.

Bartelt continues in service as a 55-year member of the Batavia Overseas VFW Post 1197.

“My job with the Veterans of Foreign Wars 1197 and the Illinois 19th VFW District is as a judge advocate,” Bartelt said. “I answer to the commander to make sure if he wants to know something about the national rules or our own rules we have in our district. It’s my job to look it up and give my take on it.”

The 19th VFW District includes DeKalb, DuPage, Kane and part of Cook counties.

“I don’t answer to any other members, either there or in the district,” Bartelt said. “I only answer to God and the commander. ... Only the commander can trump me on a decision.”

A Geneva resident, it’s his family’s name that is on Bartelt Road. They had a dairy farm in the area, he said.

Veteran Carl Dinwiddie said Bartelt always is doing what he can for the post and the veterans.

“He is fun to work with and always challenging people,” Dinwiddie said. “Cliff is actually the longest-serving member ... in our VFW right now.”

Dinwiddie and Bartelt have served together on Post functions such as the Fish Fry and the Loyalty Day Parade.

“He goes to all the meetings,” Dinwiddie said. “And if there’s something that needs to be done – bingo – he will carry his weight.”