Velma Leola Peters Hamilton (1908-2006)

HAMILTON, PETERS, STARR, ACKER, FAGA, GOTTLIEB, EBERWEIN, JENSEN, STONE, BURNESS, WILSON, MARTENS, SCHULTZ, DUNST, ACKER, VANDERVEER

Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 7/9/2006 at 07:28:33

THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Saturday, July 8, 2006.

Velma Leola Peters Hamilton was born May 25, 1908, on a farm near Menlo to Myron and Jennie (Starr) Peters. She died Friday, July 7, in Ames, at age 98.

Beloved mother of Joan (Leland) Acker, Kay Faga, Sam (Yuvonne) Hamilton and Rose (Lester) Gottlieb. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ira Hamilton; one son, Joseph Hamilton; one grandson, Stephen Faga; one son-in-law, Danny Faga; and three siblings Carl Peters, Margaret Eberwein and Bernice Jensen.

She is survived by her children; one daughter-in-law, Bonnie Hamilton (Carlos) Chase; two sisters, Ruth Stone and Alice Burness; seven grandchildren, Kathy (Blake) Wilson, Kerry (Steve) Martens, April (Bob) Schultz, September (Jeff) Dunst, Brian (Angie) Acker, Jenny Acker and Aaron (Regina) Hamilton; 10 great-grandchildren, David (Amber) Wilson, Alex and Stephen Wilson, Marshall and Madeline Acker, Gwendolen Dunst, Adeline Schultz, Hayley and Mitchell Martens and Clara Hamilton; one great-great-grandson, Carter Wilson; one cousin, Velma VanDerVeer; nieces and nephews; and devoted friend, Julia Peters.

Velma came of age during the Depression. After the loss of the family farm, she worked 16-hour days doing housework for $3 a week. In 1939, she married Ira Hamilton at the Greenfield Courthouse in a dress she bought at Younkers for 50 cents. She bore five children in eight years and raised them on a farm west of Casey. Ira died in 1960, leaving her with three children still at home. She remained on the farm for another five years, then moved to Adair where she operated the Dairy Sweet for a number of years. She moved to Ames in 1997.

Her formal education ended after the eighth grade, but she continued to be a lifelong learner. She was an avid reader with a great love for knowledge. In her 60s, she passed the high school equivalency exam and completed a year of college at Westmar College in Le Mars. She loved to sew, garden and travel. She loved to attend and bet on the horse races with her son, Sam. In her declining years, she suffered many physical ailments, but her spirit and her will remained strong. When failing eyesight prevented her from reading, she listened to books on tape. When she no longer could sew, she made yarn-covered hangers. One of her greatest pleasures was to shop for beautiful yarn to fashion her hangers, which fill her children and grandchildren's closets.

She remembered in great detail the nearly 100 years that she lived. She was the keeper of the family history, and, with her stories, she gave her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a vital connection to the past. She will be deeply missed.

The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff at the Story County Medical Center for their loving care during the final months of Velma's life.

Private graveside services are planned.

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