HARPER — Mary Bridget Hammes, 92, of Hills, formerly of Harper, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, at Atrium Village in Hills.
Mary was born June 29, 1917, in Iowa County, near Armah, to Edward Patrick and Mary Elizabeth (Smyth) Lenaghan. She graduated from Webster High School and received her teaching certificate at Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. Mary taught country school several years. On Aug. 26, 1941, she married Raymond Peter Hammes at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Keswick. Mary and Raymond made their home on the Hammes family farm near Harper. They spent their lives farming and raising their family of 14 children. In 1991 they moved to Harper and in 2001 they moved to Windmill Pointe Estates in Coralville. Raymond passed away in 2005, at which time Mary moved to Atrium Village in Hills. She was a member of Holy Trinity Parish — Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church and the Altar and Rosary Society. Mary devoted her life to caring for others.
Survivors include 13 children: Rita (Harry) Adam of Columbus Junction, Kathleen (Michael) Berg of Harper, Patrick “Joe” (Debbie) of St. Charles, Ill., Barbara (Richard “Joe”) Merz of Cedar Rapids, Stephen (Jo Anne) Hammes of Cedar Rapids, Connie (Don) Dooley of Lake Oswego, Ore., Sandy (Dave) Fisher of Davenport, John (Lisa) Hammes of Shawnee, Kan., Judy (Jim) Hilgenberg of Bettendorf, Marilyn (Larry) Abrams of Coralville, Brenda (Mark) Chorpening of Coralville, Ed (Laurie) Hammes of Sigourney and Rick (Peggy) Hammes of Coralville; 31 grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren. Also surviving are her brother: Terry Lenaghan of Milan, Ill., and sisters: Theresa O’Rourke of Webster, Patricia Sieren of Keota and Sister Rita Ann of Johnston. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Raymond; a son: Ronald, and two brothers: John and Edward Lenaghan.
Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at Holy Trinity Parish — St. Mary Catholic Church in Keota, with Fathers Charles Fladung and Lou Leonhardt officiating. Burial will be at Holy Trinity Cemeteries — Ss. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Clear Creek Township. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, 2010, at Powell Funeral Home in Keota, where there will be a wake service at 7 p.m.
A memorial fund has been established for the Clear Creek Heritage Association, Congregation of Humility of Mary or Birthright. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Keota is caring for Mary and her family. Condolences may be e-mailed at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries.
