Jeraldine Hammer - age 97, of Pocahontas, passed away on Tuesday, August 6, 2019, at the Pocahontas Manor Care Center in Pocahontas, Iowa.

Jeraldine (Jeri) Hammer was born July 22, 1922 on a farm near Pierson, Iowa. She was the daughter of Carl A and Edna (Stevenson) Peterson. She had two older brothers, three older sisters, two younger sisters, and five younger brothers affectionately known as the "Little Boys." Jeri graduated from Larrabee High School and attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake for two years. After college, she taught in Aurelia and Early. Even in death, Jeri continues to teach as she donated her body to Des Moines University for study. She married Louis Hammer June 7, 1946 in the Little Brown Church. They settled on a farm near Pocahontas where they raised their six children. She loved children, teaching, and poetry. She would often recite poems to her children and grandchildren-"Old Shoes, New Shoes," "I think Mice are Rather Nice," and "Grandfather's Clock." She taught the nursery Sunday School class for many years (mainly because her children were too shy to go without her). She was a busy farmwife who tended a huge garden, canned the produce, raised chickens, prepared three square meals a day and baked bread. As the boys grew up and left the farm, she was drafted to help with the farm work, but let it be known if anyone scolded her or yelled at her, she was out. She was happiest when holding babies or interacting with children. At Pocahontas Methodist church, she was affectionately known as "Grandma Jeri" to many. She is survived by her husband Louis, daughter Connie (Bob) Dallenbach, and sons, Denny (Joan), Steve (Nita), Bruce (Sue), Rob (Kathy), and Philip (Tina), brothers, Ralph (Dottie) Peterson, Gilbert Peterson, sister-in-laws Doris Peterson, Laura Belle McConnell, and Mary Lou Johnson. Her grandchildren are Shannon (Steve) Kalb, Stevie (Chuka) Ifeanyi, Tiffany (Brian) Hill, Krista Hammer, Morgan (Brian) Fleming, Chad Hemann, Holly (Jeff) Lathrop, Brooke Taylor, Bailee Taylor, Melanie Milazzo, Shane (Maria) Milazzo, Laura (Chris) Luley, Lissa (Nick) Lubbers, NiCole (Casey) McClain, Amanda (Doug) Guyer, Trent Hammer, Anna (Donny)Bedard, Joe (Celia) Goodman, Sally, Victor, and Reese Hammer. Her great-grandchildren include Tae Kalb, Mica and Nico Hill, Liam Ifeanyi, Edison Fleming, Grayson Hemann, Noah and Izaiah Lathrop, Kinslee Ludtke, Lilly and Laynie Luley, Ally, Gabby, and Lacy Lubbers, Luke Hulin, Amber and Steven Milazzo, Nora and Nell McClain, Elyse, Wyatt, and Monty Guyer, and D.J. Bedard. Jeri was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Elmo, Paul, Karl, Ernest, and Ted and sisters, Sally Roseen, Burnette Johnston, Jean Smith, Roberta Jones, and Nellie Shouse.