Benedictine resident celebrates 106th birthday
Evelyn Hammer who celebrated her 106th birthday on May 31 with family members at Benedictine Living Community Owatonna. She is shown with her daughters, Sharon Runge, left, Diana Hammer, right, and behind her Linda Hammer. Submitted photo
It was a small, quiet celebration on May 31 with about 20 people in attendance at Benedictine Living in Owatonna. But it was a momentous day because Evelyn Hammer was celebrating her 106th birthday.
Hammer was born Evelyn Kading in Waseca on June 2, 1920, the only daughter of Orlando and Elsie Kading. Evelyn was only 7 years old when her mother died. She grew up in Meriden, said her daughter, Diana.
She married Ernest August Hammer on March 31, 1939. They were married for 30 years until his death in 1969.
Her life, during those years, her daughter Diana said, involved working on the farm, milking cows and working with horses as she had a love for animals. She had a large garden, giving the family a crop for her to can and a strawberry patch for making jam to fill the cellar.
Off the farm, she cleaned houses and local schools. She and Ernest enjoyed dancing, hosting parties and listening to country music.
The couple had six children, Diana, Sharon, Carol, Gary, Linda and Susan. When the children were grown, she worked for 18 years at Brown printing in Waseca.
She moved to Owatonna to live with her daughters Diana and Linda in 1997.
Diane said that to pass her time she worked in Owatonna at the Clothes Line. She said her mother shared her sewing talent making more than 110 quilt tops for her church. She also made quilts for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She also embroidered on flour sack dish towels and shared them with her family.
She enjoyed road trips with her family traveling through Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. She also enjoyed fishing, building puzzles and watching the Minnesota Twins, even keeping a scorebook, Diana said.
“Evelyn was the life of the family gatherings and always made the holiday’s special hosting Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. “For Christmas everyone looked forward to grandma’s homemade caramels and popcorn balls, making hundreds every year.”
When she was 101 Evelyn moved to Benedictine Living Community. The staff at Benedictine quickly learned that she was a mover and asked if they could have her wear a tracker so they could find her as she toured the entire facility, Diana said.
Her mother still loves animals, Diana said, especially when a horse would visit Benedictine.
In addition to her children, Evelyn’s legacy includes eight grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.