Mary Lou Hammer

Mary Lou Hammer, 89, of Bedford, NH, died Tuesday, April 10, 2018.
Born in Monroe, MI on October 13, 1928, she was the daughter of Walter F. and Mary L. (Kelly) Whiteman. She was a graduate of West Jersey Hospital School of Nursing. Mary Lou started her career as a Registered Nurse working with iron lung patients. Her adventuresome spirit led her to become a flight attendant with TWA. During her worldwide travels she met her future husband, with whom she raised eight children. She devoted the remainder of her nursing career to caring for the elderly and Alzheimer's patients in Syracuse, NY prior to her retirement in 1997.
After her retirement to Grants Pass, Oregon, Mary Lou was active with her family and community. She volunteered for more than 4,100 hours at Three Rivers Medical Center with pre-op admissions and "Pillow Talk" group, and was active in the Legion of Mary at St Anne's Parish. She also enjoyed travel, real life stories, knitting, bingo, baking, wine making and writing to friends and family. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend. She was the heart of her family.
Family includes her husband of 63 years, Paul E. Hammer of Bedford; two daughters: Mary C. Turner and husband James of Bedford, NH, and Annaliese Hammer Dill and husband John of West Sand Lake, NY; six sons: Dr. Paul S. Hammer and wife Jamie of Yakima, WA, Michael P. Hammer of Reston, VA, John T. Hammer of Washington, DC, Joseph D. Hammer and wife Susan of Holmdel, NJ, Dr. Daniel X. Hammer and wife Anne of Silver Spring, MD, and Andrew J. Hammer and wife Emily of Covington, GA; twenty four grandchildren; six great grandchildren; and six siblings.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, April 16, 2018 at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 190 Meetinghouse Rd., Bedford, NH. Burial followed in NH State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Covenant House, 5 Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10001, Attention: Sandra Latchman.