Herbert Hammes

HERBERT HAMMES

Sigourney

Herbert Nicholas Hammes, 94, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2014, at Keokuk County Medical Center in Sigourney. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Sigourney. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Powell Funeral Chapel in Sigourney, where a wake service and rosary will be held at 4 p.m. Burial will be at Holy Trinity Cemeteries-St. Elizabeth Catholic Cemetery in Harper.

A memorial fund has been established for St. Mary Catholic Church, Sigourney, and Holy Trinity Cemeteries-St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Harper.

Herbert was born July 6, 1920, in Plank Township, Keokuk County, near Sigourney, Iowa, the son of Peter J. and Theresa (Gries) Hammes. He attended school at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Clear Creek and in Harper. Herbert married Bertha Maxine Miller on Jan. 10, 1942, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Harper.

He worked for Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego in 1942 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After returning from the war he worked at a hardware store with his father-in-law and later was in a partnership at the hardware store with his brother, Omer. Herbert was a rural mail carrier at the Harper Post Office until 1984, when he became mail carrier for the Keota and West Chester post offices for three years.

The couple lived in the Harper community for 49 years. They moved to Lake Ponderosa near Montezuma and lived there 12 years before moving to Sigourney in 2002.

Herbert enjoyed traveling, the Hawkeyes, horses, golf, playing cards and most of all being with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Mary Catholic Church, National Rural Letter Carriers, Keota VFW Post 4716, and formerly was a city councilman and mayor of Harper.

He is survived by his three daughters, Shirley (Bill) Jensen of West Branch, Denni (Jeff) Brown of Harper and Debra (Richard) Adam of North Liberty; two sons, James (Mary Beth) Hammes of Iowa City and David (Catherine) Hammes of Holly, Colo.; 15 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; brother, Wilfred (Joyce) Hammes of Bettendorf; and sisters-in-law, Burnita Hammes of Sigourney and Jeanette Hammes of Sigourney.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Maxine; a son, Randall Joseph Hammes; sisters, Irene Willis and Bernice Hueberger; and brothers, Raymond, Omer and Floyd Hammes.