LIFE SKETCH OF FRANCIS MARION HAMMOND

Written by his daughter Bettie Hammond Fulmer

Francis Marion Hammond was born October 14, 1889 at Providence, Cache, Utah to Milton Melvin Hammond and Sarah Elizabeth Thornton. When he was three years old his mother died and he was raised by his stepmother Jennie Tibbits. She must have been very good to him because he had lots of love and respect for her.

After leaving the state of Utah, they moved to the state of Washington, where they lived for a short time, moving from there to Marysville, Idaho where they settled and he attended elementary school there and at Ashton. School was attended rather haphazard in the winter because of the weather and clothing conditions. Most of the shoes he wore as a child were made out of rawhide by his father. After graduating from the eighth grade, he attended high school in St. Anthony where he graduated.

He married Florence Farnworth in the Logan Temple, Logan, Cache, Utah on October 4, 1911. They lived at Ashton, Idaho and to this union three children were born: Francis Harold of Bountiful, Utah; Beulah Alice Cooper of Palm Springs, California; and Mildred Evans of Woods Cross, Utah. Their marriage ended by divorce.

On July 22, 1919 he married Jessie Winters. To this union two daughters were born: Bettie Fullmer of Rexburg, Idaho; and Jessie Byington of Rexburg, Idaho. His wife Jessie died when their daughter Jessie was born.

On May 23, 1924 he married Mary Wentland at Rexburg, Idaho and to this union eight children were born: Norma Pfost; Carol Sims; Milton Merril; and Judy, all of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Frances Baribault of Eureka, California; Melvin and Brent Hammond of Alta, Wyoming. One son Steven preceded him in death.

He was a quiet man and talked little about himself or his life. I'm sure that all who ever knew him would agree that his outstanding characteristic was his generosity. He was generous with his money, his possessions, his time and his love, sharing all these with everyone he knew. He loved people and enjoyed being with them socially as well as working with them. He enjoyed his farming much more if he had a brother, son, or son-in-law, neighbor or hired hand working with him. Many times these people shared his home with him as well as his work. He wanted to share everything he had with others.

By occupation he was a farmer and a good one. Proud of his farm animals and his crops. He would dig under a hill of potatoes and show every one how nice and smooth they were and how many there were under a hill. He liked to stand out in a field of potatoes and show how high the potato plants came up on him. He and his brother Irus farmed together. They got along well and enjoyed farming together.

Times were not always easy for him on the farm and he supplemented his farm income by owning trucks and hauling milk for the upper Snake River Valley Dairymen Association. He was assisted in this operation by his younger brother Karl. He farmed in the Ashton and Chester area, running both irrigated and dry farms. At the time he first started to farm, he used horses. At the time of his death, he was running a fully mechanized modern farm in the Egin area.

He enjoyed life, he especially liked the outdoors. He liked to go to the forest and get out timber and camp out. He liked to wrestle. He had a collar bone broken as the result of a wrestling match he participated in. He loved to both roller skate and ice skate, doing both until late in life. He loved to dance and went to dances often and always liked to invite friends to his home to eat after the dance. He had a real sense of humor and people always enjoyed his company.

He was an active member of the Democratic party, campaigning actively for the honest men the party ran on their ticket. I remember on election nights he would always go to Democratic Headquarters to be with other people and hear the election returns. He served as School Trustee, both in the Chester and Egin School Districts. He took a personal interest in all the teachers employed by the school district, inviting them to his home for meals and helping them in any way he could.

I can remember for years he drove Buffalo pulling a covered wagon in the twenty-fourth of July celebration at St. Anthony, and after the parade he always worked in one of the ward stands.

He was not a church goer but he lived a good life. My mother and he had their recommends ready to go to the temple to be sealed, but she died before they were able to complete their plans. Whenever there was a funeral in the ward he lived in, in the winter time he would go clear the parking lot of snow and help the people park their cars.

He helped the wards he lived in build their chapels first paying his building assessment generously before contacting other ward members to get them to pay theirs. He also contributed generously of his time and equipment for the building of the chapel.

Dad was a nervous sort of person. He liked to be busy dong things. If he got excited or confused, he would stutter. I can remember his being called on to say the prayer at church and he stuttered so bad he could hardly say it. Another time he couldn't talk was when he accompanied his son Steven in the ambulance to Salt Lake City, Utah after Steven had been shot in the head accidentally by a twenty-two bullet. Steven died shortly after they were admitted to the hospital. Luckily Harold was able to be at the hospital with Dad to take care of the details.

Dad had a good life. He worked long hard hours but he enjoyed his work. He enjoyed his family and his home. He was so proud of his home and his wife Mary's good cooking, and he loved to share her cooking with his friends and family. Most meals served in his home were shared with others.

This is a short history because as I said before, he didn't talk much about himself or his life. But when I leave this world, I hope I can leave as many kind deeds and as much happiness behind to be remembered as my father did. He died at the young age of 60 and left a family who loved him and was proud to be called his children.


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