Willis Fred Hamman

Willis F. Hamman, age 97, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Monday, January 23, 2017, at a care center in Watertown. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 27, 2017, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Watertown. Pastor Iver Possehl will officiate. Music will be provided by the Men's Choir accompanied by Sharon Folk as organist. The family is requested to meet at the church on Friday by 10:30 a.m. for a prayer service.

Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and prior to services at the church on Friday.

Burial will be at the Ortley Cemetery, Ortley, SD. Honorary pallbearers will be all of Willis’ many friends. Active pallbearers will be: Don McClung, Randy Owen, Jerry Riedel, Loren Pihl, Gary Ebner and Neal Holscher.

Willis was born on March 6, 1919, to William and Alma (Schmidt) Hamman on a farm north of Ortley, SD. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waubay, SD. Willis attended grade school at Ortley Township country school and then worked on the family farm.

On November 3, 1943, Willis married Pearl Wieger at Waubay, SD. He drove semi, hauling hay to various cattle feeders and sale barns in Minnesota and Iowa and flax straw to Breckenridge, MN, and Summit, SD, yards. Willis continued to farm and work with cattle northeast of Ortley until November of 1995 when they moved to Watertown. Willis also worked at Sisseton Livestock Auction from 1976 to 1995 and then worked at SD Livestock Sales in Watertown from 1995 to 2015.

He loved to work with cattle and to strike up a conversation with anyone who was willing to talk. Willis loved dancing, playing cards, fishing and making sauerkraut.

Willis is survived by his daughter, Phyllis Dean, of Cottage Grove, MN; his son, Roger (Diane) Hamman, of Fairmont, ND; four grandchildren: Richard Lewandowski, Staci Lewandowski, David (Sarah) Hamman and Daniel (April) Hamman; 16 great-grandchildren: Amanda, Morgan, Kayla, Autmyn, Brittnie, Isabelle, Anjanee, Jenna, Brandon, Blake, Nicholas, Bentley, Hunter, Gannon, Keanu and A.J.; one great-great-granddaughter, Evangeline; one brother-in-law, Ray Wieger, of Russell, KS; and two sisters-in-law, Doris (John) Osborne of Riverton, WY, and Ruth (Fred) Wieger of Waubay, SD.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Pearl; one granddaughter, Amy; his brother, Harlan; and two sisters, Alice and LaVera.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 12 2023, 17:50:13 UTC

• Residence: Roberts, South Dakota, United States - 1920
• Residence: Alto Township, Roberts, South Dakota, United States - 1930
• Residence: Same House - 1935
• Residence: Alto Township, Roberts, South Dakota, United States - 1940
• Residence: Summit - 03 Feb 1975
• Residence: Watertown - 24 Feb 1996
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 12 2023, 18:23:34 UTC