Hammerstrom, Janice 1941-2009

HAMMERSTROM, JUFFER

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 7/1/2009 at 11:54:06

From: Le Mars Daily Sentinel, July 1, 2009

Jan Hammerstrom, 67, of Los Alamitos, Calif., died in the early morning hours of June 20, 2009, in Los Alamitos, after a lengthy and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer and scleroderma.

The former Janice Elaine Juffer was born July 6, 1941, Le Mars, the daughter of Herman and Mina Juffer. Jan graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in child development and where she was affiliated with Gamma Phi Beta sorority. There she met her future husband, Gary Alan Hammerstrom, and they were married Jan. 30, 1965, in San Mateo, Calif. She subsequently received a master's degree from San Francisco State University in early childhood education.

Jan taught kindergarten in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District for 38 years, most recently at San Mateo Park School. She retired from teaching in 2002.

Jan and her husband lived in South San Francisco and San Mateo, California, for nearly 40 years. For the past seven years they resided in Long Beach, Calif.

Jan was a loving and dedicated wife. Her interests included travel, sports, gardening, and simply making life better for her family and many friends.

Jan is survived by her husband of 44 years, Gary Hammerstrom; her father-in-law C.R. Hammerstrom, and two nephews, Mark Juffer, of Rosemount, Minn., and Jon Juffer of Eden Prairie, Minn.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Herman Dean Juffer.

Burial and remembrances will be private.

In recognition of her love of children and children's literature, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the San Mateo Park School Foundation, PO Box 6, San Mateo, CA 94401. Please make reference to the Jan Hammerstrom Memorial Fund. Annual proceeds from the endowment fund will be use to purchase children's books for the San Mateo Park School Library in Jan's memory.