Raymann Hammer

Raymann Hammer passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of November 29th, 2010 at Carnduff Sunset Haven Nursing Home where both he and Luella have lived for the past few years.  Raymann was predeceased by his father, Paul (1966); mother, Ida (1983); son, Carl (1982); brothers, Henry, Earnest, Oswald, Gordon and Harold; sisters, Selma, Pearl and Violet and all of their spouses. Raymann is survived by his wife of 65 years, Luella; daughters, LoisMcLeod (Colin) and Doris Morrow (Walter); grandchildren, Rodney Hammer (Stacey), Paul (Corinne) Hammer, Audra (Marques) Hammer, Christine (Steve) Richards and Jennifer (Robert) Schwartz; great-grandchildren, Janae and Jensen Hammer, Bailey Hammer, Darren and Emily Richards, and Gabriella Schwartz; brother, Paul (Jack) Hammer (Ruby); sister, Freida Beglau; as well as many nieces and nephews and a few American cousins.  Raymann was born on January 5th, 1919 in the Central Butte District at the home of his Aunt Annie, who acted as midwife.  He was the fourth of eleven children born to Paul and Ida Hammer.  He went to Pine Lake School for the first 3 grades.  Since this school was quite a distance from home, his dad bought a farm closer to the school in the Bothwell School District.  He attended until Grade 7 when poor health prevented him from attending.  Raymann worked for the neighbours in the winter months.  When the war broke out in 1939, he was called up to service.  He enlisted with the King’s Own Rifles of Canada.  For the first two years he served for a few months at a time.  He had rented some land, and while in the service, he bought it.  In the spring of 1943, he got leave to come home to seed, but was not able to come home to harvest.  He was stationed in the Queen Charlotte Islands for 18 months.  He got a furlow in the spring of 1944, but had to go back.  Not much later, he was granted leave, discharged and went home to farm.  On March 29th, 1945, Raymann and Luella were married.  They started farming with 6 horses, but later bought a second-hand John Deere tractor (the first of many).  They lived in the Bothwell District until 1953 when they moved closer to Chaplin for school for their 3 children, Carl, Lois and Doris.  Raymann and Luella moved to Chaplin in 1968, but continued to farm until 1979.  Over the years Raymann was very active in the areas that they lived.  He served as Director of the Bothwell Telephone Company, was on the Board of Bothwell School, spent more that 30 years on the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Board and was an RM Councilor for two terms.  Raymann also enjoyed being an umpire for Minor League Baseball in Chaplin with his friend, Sig Molde.  He was on the Civic Centre Board and was an active enthusiastic member of the Chaplin Lions Club for over 38 years.  It was partly due to his encouragement that the Chaplin Swimming Pool was built.  Raymann was also active with the Chaplin Lutheran Church.  Both he and Luella were members of the Chaplin Seniors Club and once they moved to Alameda, were members of the Alameda MerryMakers Seniors Club.  Raymann was very proud to be given the opportunity to become a member of the Alameda Legion, Branch 267.  Raymann loved to curl, fish, play cards and travel.  They made yearly trips to visit Lois, Colin and the girls wherever they lived.  Most of these trips were driving trips – they loved their motor homes.  They travelled to destinations right across Canada and into many areas of the United States, especially Minnesota where the American cousins lived.  With Luella as his co-pilot (map-reader), Raymann did most of the driving, unless Doris and Wally could travel with them.  With Raymann’s health failing and Luella needing hip surgery, they moved to Alameda – closer to Doris to take them for medical appointments.  They lived in the Prairie View Lodge where they made many new friends – more card players!  Their next move came in 2008 when they moved to the Borderline Housing in Carnduff, where they were residing at the time of Raymann’s passing after a battle with cancer.  A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, December 4th. 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in Moose Jaw Funeral Home.  Pastor Marvin Seaborg will officiate and interment will take place in Chaplin Cemetery at a later date.  A time of comradeship will be held at the Alameda Legion Hall on Monday, December 6th, 2010.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Raymann’s memory can be made to the Allan Blair Cancer Lodge in Regina, SK., the Chaplin Cemetery Fund or to Borderline Housing/Sunset Haven in Carnduff, SK.