Betty Lou Hammond

Mount Pleasant, Michigan - Betty Lou (Kent) Hammond of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, age 93, peacefully passed away on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at the Isabella County Medical Care Facility in Mt. Pleasant, with her family by her side.  Betty was born on August 25, 1924 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to the late Donald V. and Martha (Gunckel) Kent. She was united in marriage to the late Maxwell Sylvester Hammond of Weidman on September 14, 1940, he preceded her in 2006, they were two months short of celebrating 66 years together.  Betty along with Max owned and operated Hammond’s Hardware in Ubly, Michigan from 1954 to 1972.  Betty then became a Realtor of Hammond’s Realty and served as the President of the Realtor’s Association in the Thumb Tri-County Area.  In her younger years she sold silverware and was also a member of the Eastern Stars in Bay City.  When she moved back to Mt. Pleasant in 1983 she became very involved with Commission on Aging and enjoyed writing for their newsletter by interviewing ninety-year-old seniors and telling their stories.  In 1985 she and Phyllis Ahlers (she called her sister) organized the swimming aerobics with the COA.    She enjoyed playing Bridge until the last few years when her vision wasn’t as sharp.   She was always an avid reader and had notebooks filled with book summaries and always listed words she didn’t know and then look up the definitions and would write a sentence or two with the words.  She could do a crossword puzzle faster than anyone we ever knew.  She had a deep love for nature and would pick flowers in the summer for her kitchen table.  They enjoyed many good times at their cottage at Coldwater Lake.  She had a great sense of humor and loved to tease.  She would always say, “I must have done something right, I have a such a beautiful family.”   She truly loved her family.  She was ready to be home with her cherished husband.

Betty leaves her family; six children:  Carolyn (Michael) Holdship of Cadillac, Linda (Lynn) Smith of Mt. Pleasant, Max (Reva) Hammond of Orange Beach, AL, William (Michele) Hammond of Holly, John ( and special friend Janet) Hammond of Ocala, FL, and Jennifer (Tim) Smith of Wyoming, MI;  grandchildren:  Patrick (Shannon) Smith, Mark (Angie) Holdship, Matthew (Nikki) Holdship, Kerri (David) Dunton, Jennifer (Herman) Ferguson, Jessica Hammond (and special friend Travis), Elizabeth (Jeff) Canever, Patrick (Megan) Hammond, Justin, Joshua and Jordan Hammond, Jamie (and special friend Devin), Jacob (fiancée Lauren) Jones, and Tyler Jones; great-grandchildren:  Holly Anna, Dean, Michael, Dylan, Emma, Melana, Matthew, Alexa, Logan, Bradley, John, MacKenzie, Olivia, Wyatt, Wren, Maxell III, Chloe, Davis, Audrey, Warren, Aria, Finn, Charlotte, Vivian, Rose, Donovan, Orion, and Charles; and one great-great grandchild: John; brother-in-laws; Harvey (Doris) Hammond, Curt (Pauline) Hammond and: sister-in-law; Madeline Nagy; and many nieces and nephews.  In addition to her husband and parents preceding her in death Betty was preceded by one granddaughter; Heidi Smith, and by two brothers and one sister: Phyllis, John and Bill Kent.
 
A service will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at the Mt. Pleasant First United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Diane Gordon officiating.   The family will be present to receive friends at the church on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service. A luncheon will be served after the service in the church dining hall.   

Those planning on expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contribution to the First United Methodist Church, the Commission on Aging, or the Isabella County Medical Care Facility Memory Unit.    The family was assisted with these arrangements by the Hitesman-Holdship Funeral Home (Betty’s grandson) of Cadillac. 

The Family wish to extend their deepest appreciation to the Staff for the care and love given to their mother while a patient at the Isabella County Medical Care Facility.

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