Herbert Nicholas Hammes

Sigourney

Herbert Nicholas Hammes, age 94, died on Saturday, November 29, 2014 at the Keokuk County Medical Center in Sigourney. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Sigourney. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at the Powell Funeral Home in Sigourney, where a wake service and rosary will be held at 4:00 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 on July 6, 1920, in Plank Township, Keokuk County, near Sigourney, Iowa, the son of Peter J. and Theresa (Gries) Hammes. He attended school at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School at Clear Creek and in Harper. Herbert married Bertha Maxine Miller on January 10, 1942 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Harper. He worked for Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego in 1942, before enlisting in the US Navy during World War II. After returning from 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 the mail carrier for the Keota and West Chester Post Offices for 3 years. The couple lived in the Harper community 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 grand children. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Mary Catholic Church, National Rural Letter Carriers, Keota V.F. W. 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, IA; Denni (Jeff) Brown of Harper, IA; Debra (Richard) Adam of North Liberty, IA; two sons: James (Mary Beth) Hammes of Iowa City, IA; David (Catherine) Hammes of Holly CO; 15 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren; brother Wilfred (Joyce) Hammes of Bettendorf, IA; 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, brothers Raymond, Omer, and Floyd Hammes.