Ernie Hammer is a long time Kiowa County Press contributor. This story is written by Ernie’s Aunt Liz, Elizabeth Katherine (Hammer) Smith Benatti, based on her memories and family research. The story begins in Germany with Oswald Hammer and Margarethe Marie von Barsewisch, Liz’s parents. Liz passed away at the age of 104. She was living at the Kohart Home in Kit Carson at the time of her death. Part 26 can be read here.

The Children’s Adult Years (continued)

The 1940’s found the Hammers all doing great things.  William came home from WWII and got back into the demands of ranch work again.  Henry had done the ranch work for the two as they had done before the war, again with Germany as was WWI with Martin and Paul drafted.

Martin, during WWII, was on his Divide homestead with his family.  His wife Eva was quite crippled with arthritis.

Paul and Margaret, his wife, were still in California; their two boys were home.  Paul was getting eager to retire from the Pacific Telephone Company.  He had his big moment when he installed the new telephone equipment at Mill Valley, CA, the first of its kind.  He was chief install-technician for the project.  

Ted was still like his mother, accumulating old abandoned homesteads near Grand Junction.  His seven children were growing and busy covering the ranch work quite efficiently – at least their banker always complimented Ted and Anna for the way the children handled themselves.

Gerhardt’s wife, Bess, was still teaching one room schools, while Gerhart busied himself on their new hay and cattle ranch on the Tarryall River.  Fritz and Mary were on the old White place north of Woodland Park.  Rod and Lena and family were farming in the Hanover area.  He used his tractor for plowing whoever had the ten dollars an hour.  He used the old bean sheller at bean harvest time within the Ellicott, Drennan and Hanover bean fields.

Elizabeth was appointed County Superintendent of Park County and had won two reelections.

Oscar was deep in his entomology work with Dow Chemical Company.  His wife, Olive and he had three children.  This brings us to the last three of the twelve children.  William and Henry still worked their ranches together, however, Henry had two children and William was still a bachelor.  Soon he married the widow Maudia where he became a grandfather in name, three months after marriage.  Mother Hammer tolerated Will’s ready-made family until she began to besiege with dower thoughts.  It seemed no one was there to understand Ma’s place anymore.  We couldn’t just come and park ourselves and family as we had before.  It was now William and Maudia’s home.

I guess lack of communication, for mother took herself in bitterness to live at the IH Ranch.  At this time the IH was the only acreage that was not completely paid for.  The cottage was five rooms and more modern than the homestead house.  But here there were no roots, no memories.  So Gertrude and Harold moved onto the IH Ranch with her. Gertrude needed a teaching job. Her high school classmate was on the school board so he put a feather in his cap by inviting her to teach at Drennan where they had been high school best friends.

William and Henry (who were in partnership) offered Harold a job because the Drennan School District had offered Gertrude a job.  He could work for his brothers’-in-law helping with the cattle or he could work on any of three other ranches nearby – Turkey Track, Appelt, or Ingle Cattle Co. and others.

They also contracted to take care of Mother Hammer – to have her stay with them until her cabin could be built just across the road from where Gertrude and Harold’s little five room cottage was located.

Next week – Pap Hammer 

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