Ruth Hammar

Age 97, passed away December 28, 2020.  She was born May 21, 1923, with an identical twin sister, in Sharon Township, Iowa.  Ruth grew up during the Great Depression.  No one had money; the banks were broke; no jobs, hard times.  Everyone was poor and had to “make do” or go without.  Ruth walked a mile and a half to school, graduating in 1942.  By then, WWII was raging.  Ruth moved to Michigan to work in a defense plant for the duration of the war.  She sewed pup tents for the soldiers and later built landing barges for the Marines.  She also donated blood.

After the war, Ruth met her husband, Laurence, and they raised four children and always had a family dog.  In 1954, they located in Holt and attended Holt Baptist Church, where she was active as a Sunday School Teacher, Deaconess, worked on the kitchen committee, Junior Church and worked as church clerk and folded the church bulletins.  Ruth loved the church.

When the children were grown, she worked at Wilcox Elementary School in Holt for 22 years.  After retiring from the school, Ruth finally stayed home and tried to relax; however, she always found something to do.  She liked to sew, made cloth dolls for children in Africa, worked puzzles, read books and enjoyed the companionship of her faithful little dogs.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Laurence; brother, Charles Jacob; and sister, Dorothy Engleman.  Surviving are:  her children, Tom (Bethany) Hammar, Margie Ball, Judy Williams and Betty Hammar; 2 grandchildren, Leina (Marc) Thomas and Lance Williams; 2 great-grandchildren, Marlei and Shane Thomas; twin sister, Ruby Samuelson, sister, Susan Nordstrom, and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, December 31, 2020, at Holt Baptist Church, 2020 Dean Ave.  Interment will follow in Maple Ridge Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holt Baptist Church in memory of Ruth Hammar.