Funeral services for Beatrice H. Hammer of Roseau, MN will be held on Tuesday, July 24th at Bethel-Stafford Lutheran Church south-west of Roseau, MN. Visitation will be on Monday evening from 5-7 PM with a 7:00 prayer service at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau. Interment will be at the Stafford Cemetery.
Beatrice H. Hammer, 96, of Roseau, MN died July 17, 2018 at Life Care Roseau Manor after a brief illness. Beatrice Hope Harms was born on June 9, 1922 in Mickinock Township, Roseau County, Minnesota to Paul G. Harms and Dorothy Trach Harms and grew up on their farm there. In an interview with her grandson Casey Hammer, she reflected on growing up on the family farm that included much hard work alongside her mother doing household chores and gardening.
She attended school district #84 and stayed in Roseau while attending high school, graduating from Roseau High School in 1940. Beatrice than attended cosmetology school at Parisian School of Beauty Culture, Minneapolis, MN, and worked as a beautician in Minneapolis and Roseau. Beatrice married Lloyd E. Hammer of Badger MN at her parents’ home on June 30, 1944, joining him in farming first on his parents’ home farm near Fox, MN and then their own farm in Stafford Township.
She embraced the farm life as a partner in her roles of wife, mother and homemaker, working long hours alongside her husband, excelling in housekeeping, cooking, baking, gardening and preserving, sewing, and milking cows among other tasks. Later when her children were older, she worked off the farm in the laundry at Roseau Community Hospital, Northern Upholstery, Roseau Children’s Home, Roseau Schools as a paraprofessional, and the Four Season’s Senior Center both as an employee and volunteer. Beatrice lived her deeply personal Christian faith as an active participant in the congregations of Pine Grove Lutheran Church, Pencer, Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church, Badger, First Lutheran Church, Roseau, and Bethel Lutheran Church, Stafford, serving as a member of the Ladies Aid, LCW, ELCW, Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Church Council member, and quilter.
After her retirement from Roseau Schools, she traveled with groups through the Senior Center in the western US and Canada and friends on a trip to Mexico. Beatrice was a loving, forgiving, caring lady who shared her goodness quietly as a friend and helper. She loved her family deeply and took great pride in her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandson.
As a caregiver she lovingly cared for her husband Lloyd and son Doyle in the final months of their lives. Later as she extended herself into the community a bit, many knew her quiet spark, charm and wit. While not a Scandinavian by birth, she heartily adopted the heritage into she which she married with the oft-exclaimed “uffda” and favorite food lutefisk with a little lefse too.
Beatrice practiced her Christian faith with daily reading the Bible, devotional guides and Christian books. Beyond that, she enjoyed reading a wide variety of literature, gathering information on good books to read from her children, grandchildren, and friends. She was also a collector of information from her extensive reading material, particularly recipes she shared with her family (all her sons and daughter became excellent cooks and some even excellent bakers) and she even put them together to make her own cookbooks.
She collected little sayings of wisdom and articles about Christian faith and teachings as well as stacks of other articles in which she had interest. In the end she really became the wisdom she sought to collect gladly sharing it with others. She also had an extensive collection of pictures, decorating her walls with pictures from her early relatives and many pictures shared with her by her large family and many friends.
In addition she had books and boxes of pictures collected from throughout her life. Beatrice loved animals and often had them around her as pets throughout her life, most recently her beloved cat Pete with whom she parted only after entering Roseau Manor 2 years ago. “Mom,” “Grandma,” and “Great-Grandma” loved all of her family and took great interest by knowing each of them personally and the details of their lives.
She enjoyed their visits and perhaps a game of yatzee or farkel whenever they had time. Beatrice’s family includes her surviving children Keith (Bonita), Kathy Solberg, Leigh (Denise), Allen (Sherry), and Kenny (Debbie) and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandson. She was preceded in death by her parents (Paul G. and Dorothy), husband Lloyd, 3 sons (Doyle, Stephen, and infant son), and 2 brothers (Robert and Paul, Jr).
Her family thanks all of the persons at Life Care Medical Center and Roseau Manor over the past two years who provided care for Beatrice. Beatrice’s life will be remembered and celebrated at a funeral service at Bethel Lutheran Church, Stafford, on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Michael Beery leading the service. She will be buried in Stafford Cemetery with her husband and sons.
Visitation will be held on Monday, July 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Helgeson Funeral Chapel, Roseau, with a time of sharing at 7 p.m. Viewing also at the church one hour before the service. The family suggests that in place of flowers you make a contribution to either one of Beatrice’s often-supported charities or one of your own choosing. Among the charities Beatrice supported were those for children and youth, cancer research, veterans, and her church (Bethel Lutheran Church, Stafford).
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