Naomi Hammond

Naomi L. Hammond, 94, died Oct. 19 at York. She was cremated with inurnment in the Aurora cemetery with a family service. A Memorial service will be held at the Aurora United Methodist Church at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to the United Methodist church or to the Hamilton Community Foundation.
Naomi Levine Hammond was born on June 24, 1927 at Ansley to Gerald D. and Irene (Hyatt) Russell. She grew up in Custer County and attended rural county and Ansley Public Schools until her family moved to Aurora in March of 1944, her Junior year of high school, where she graduated in 1945. She taught school at District 6 east of Aurora. She married Roy Hammond on Sept. 9, 1945 at Phillipsburg, Kans. She lived in Aurora until May 1946 when her husband was discharged from the service and they moved to Ansley. In 1947 they moved to Pine Bluffs, Wyo. where they lived on a ranch, returning to Aurora in 1949 to raise their family and later a granddaughter.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, joining the former E.U.B. Church in 1946. She served as the church librarian, on the Administration Board, the Education, Worship and Membership Committies. She was active in the United Methodist Women serving as President and was a charter member of the Deborah circle and held various offices. She taught Sunday School and was Sunday School Treasurer for many years. She enjoyed singing and was a choir member and in Women’s Chorus. She was a Bethel Bible teacher and a Caregiver for the  Stevens Ministry Program. She was a Girl Scout leader for ten years, a Cub Scout leader, served as president of the Aurora Mrs. Jaycee’s and was honored in 1960 as the Nebraska Mrs. Jaycee. She was a member of the Aurora Federated Woman’s Club, a charter member of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, a volunteer at the Plainsman Museum, the Chairperson of the U.M. Sixty Plus group, and she and her husband were members of the Cornhusker Champs camping group for sixteen years. Her hobbies were painting, various crafts, raising flowers, camping and she was an avid reader.
Survivors are: son Michael, two daughters, Cheryl Mikkelsen and Debra Mark (husband John); seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Carol Russell of Cheyenne, Wyo., sister Lois Janzen (husband Rich) of Hampton, many other relatives and friends and special friends she helped sponsor, the eight Boutic children from Laos and their families.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Gwen Marie, her parents and three brothers, Richard, Keith and Larry Russell and a sister Doris Senff.