Catherine Mildred Bellamy

  General Notes:

Catherine Mildred Bellamy was born November 19, 1919 at the family farm in Freemont Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. She was the firstborn in this family of seven children. Her baptismal certificate reads "Catherine Mildred Maria, child of Wm. D. Bellamy and his wife, Amanda nee Doering, born the 4th of Nov. 1919 in Mayville, was baptized in the Trinity Lutheran Church on the 21 of June 1920 in Bay City, Michigan."
As the other children came along, she was very instrumental in helping to care for them. Her mother's health deteriorated and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. This meant prolonged absences from the home with Catherine taking much of the responsibility for the home while her father was out working.
The family were members of the St. Paul's Lutheran church in Mayville, Michigan, and April 14, 1935, Catherine was confirmed by Pastor Kasischki.
That same year, on October 25, 1935, Catherine entered the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan to begin treatment for the tuberculosis that she also had contracted. She was transferred to the Michigan State Sanatorium at Howell, Michigan to continue the lengthy cure. During that time, she was able to pursue her schooling at the school there. She was a good student. A report card for the period shows a B+ in Business English, A's in Spanish and Latin, A's in Shorthand, and an A in typing during the 11th grade. A note says that she was able to take 120 words per minute over a five-minute period in shorthand. She also received A's for the two semesters in grade 12 in typing. Another note says that she had completed the typing course and was working for speed - present speed, an average of 35 words per minute. It reports that she was discharged July 21, 1939. The following year, on December 6, 1940, her mother passed away at the same sanatorium at Howell.
One of Catherine's closest friends as she was growing up was her mother's youngest sister, Leona, who was only a year older than Catherine. They attended different schools, and occasionally they would attend school with each other. They told the rest of their friends that they were "cousins" to avoid any embarrassment.
She completed her schooling at the Mayville High School and graduated June 12, 1941. On Sept 2, 1941, she started school at the Bay City Business College. She lived with an aunt during that time at 214 South Warner Avenue in Bay City. Some of the subjects during that two-year period were bookkeeping, business arithmetic, penmanship, rapid accounting methods, shorthand, word studies, filing, Social Security, punctuation, salesmanship, and of course, typewriting. Her grades again were very good, getting mostly A's, with some B's.
During this time, she dated John Curtis Hammer. Many weekends, he would drive from his home in Vassar to pick up Catherine and take her to spend the weekend with her family near Mayville and then drive her back to Bay City in time for school Monday morning.
Following her graduation from the Bay City Business College in the spring of 1942, she applied for a secretarial job at the Vassar High School. She asked for and received a letter of recommendation from her former principal at the Mayville High School. It reads:

"March 6, 1942
To Whom It May Concern:
Miss Catherine Bellamy has requested me to make a few statements regarding her qualifications.
I have had opportunity to note much of the work of this candidate during her last year in high school and have found her work to be among the best in her class.
Miss Bellamy has displayed a fine example throughout her career to accomplish things well. Many of the handicaps forced upon her during her high school years were overcome with a fine spirit of cooperation and a desire to succeed.
It is my pleasure to be able to recommend this person to a very high degree and I am confident that she will continue to deliver a high standard of work.
Very truly yours, Harry A. Barnard"

Curtis Hammer continued his courtship of Catherine, and a 1943 clipping from the Vassar paper tells of a bridal shower being given.

"Bride-Elect Entertained"
"Miss Lela Kelly and Mrs. Keith Dalby entertained at a party at the home of the former Tuesday evening in honor of Miss Catherine Bellamy who is to be married in June to Curtis Hammer.
Besides the women employees of the school the guests were Miss Leona Doering, Mrs. Torrey Osgerby, Mrs. Glenn Welsh, Mrs. Hammer and Miss Lois Bellamy.
Bridge and bunco were played and prizes went to Miss Ethel Cottrell, Miss Lois Bellamy, Miss Helen Seres, Mrs. Glenn Welsh and Miss Catherine Bellamy.
Decorations for the occasion were arrangements of spring flowers while individual boutonnieres were presented to each guest. Delicious refreshments were served by the hostesses.
The bride-elect was the recipient of many beautiful gifts."

In June, the paper carried another article entitled, "Quiet Wedding Is Solemnized Here Saturday, P.M."

"Miss Kathryn Bellamy became the bride of Curtis Hammer at five o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Lutheran parsonage, with Rev. A W. Voges performing the ceremony. The bride was attired in a pale blue dress and she was attended by Mrs. Keith Dalby who wore pale rose. Both wore white accessories with shoulder bouquets of gardenias. Mr. Dalby acted as best man. Presnet at the wedding were Mr. And Mrs. Roy Petrie of Flint and William Bellamy and daughter Lois of Mayville. Following the ceremony the wedding party went to Frankenmuth for dinner.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Hammer are Vassar residents. Mr. Hammer is employed at the Tribune office at Saginaw and Mrs. Hammer is at present in charge of the office at the high school."

The newlyweds' first home was an apartment above the bank building at 109 North Cass Ave. in Vassar.
A letter dated July 13, 1945, from the Michigan State Sanatorium in Howell, Michigan is as follows:

"Dear Mrs. Hammer,
In answer to your recent letter we feel that it would be safe for you to undergo a pregnancy at this time.
During the period of this pregnancy however, and for several months thereafter we would advise that you take more rest than usual and have x-rays of the chest at approximately four-month intervals.
Very truly yours, Edward W. Laboe, MD, Supt. And Medical Director"

Catherine did subsequently become pregnant. Of the pregnancy, she later told that they were very severely criticized for trying to have a child with a history of tuberculosis in both the wife and husband. Their fears were greatly magnified when she had a positive sputum culture during the course of the pregnancy. She said that she prayed ever so earnestly for the health of this child-to-be. It was even suggested that an abortion might be appropriate. However, their faith was justified when on August 15, 1946, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl who became their pride and joy.
When her daughter, Valerie, was only eight months old, Catherine was forced to leave her in the care of Curtis and his mother so that she could go into the hospital for the very slow process of further tests so that the doctors could determine how to rid her of the tubercle bacilli which had again become active in her body. Of this, she writes:
"Finally after countless consultations, the thoracic surgeons recommended all or partial removal of my right lung, but Dad and I were to make the final decision of whether or not I would go through with the surgery at that time. The doctors were quite frank in telling us the mortality rate for such operations, which was very high. So, since I wasn't feeling ill, we decided to postpone the surgery. So, once more, I was a mother."
In the fall of 1947, they decided to make a trip. Catherine writes: "When you were fourteen months old Dad decided we'd go to the southwest for the winter. It turned out to be more of a sight-seeing trip and we came home in about three weeks." Curtis had investigated the possibilities of living and working in New Mexico, but it was not to their liking, so they returned to Vassar, Michigan.
Catherine again writes: "The following spring I once more became a patient at U. of M. Hospital in Ann Arbor for the postponed surgery. Much progress had been made in perfecting this operation aided by streptomycin, which also had been improved. The 7-1/2-hour operation was a success and left me with part of the lower right lung intact. Recovery, however was slow and I finally came home against doctors' advice. No one had bothered to explain to me the necessity for the prolonged recovery period. Much later, a good doctor did just that, but my impatience cost me a third separation from you [Valerie]. That time I stayed until the doctor said 'Okay, you've made it.' That was the spring of 1951."
The following fall, Curtis had purchased a house and he, his mother and Valerie moved into the new home at 115 W. Oak Street in Vassar. It was a large old two-story frame house that required some remodeling, but Curtis was very talented in that department and gradually made their dream home a reality.
When Catherine returned home, she established a habit that she maintained for years of taking a nap in the afternoon. She also had much opportunity for fresh air and healthful, moderate work outdoors in the huge yard. She loved flowers and gardening. The old overgrown flowerbeds were gradually cleaned out and made beautiful again. The roses, peonies, iris, tulips, poppies and tiger lilies thrived. New flowers were added. The begonias were probably her favorites, and they filled the flowerbeds in front of the house. The tubers had to be taken in every winter and set out again in the spring. The long driveway was lined with iris. Crocus, hyacinths and daffodils were among the first to announce the coming of spring. She loved arranging flowers, and the house was graced the entire growing season with her arrangements. She was an active member of the local garden club for years. She provided the flowers for church every Sunday that there were any available. On their various trips and excursions, she was fond of collecting unusual stones and created a rock garden with them.
She was a good cook, providing excellent meals for her family on a daily basis. Company dinners were handled with similar ease, and friends and relatives were welcome guests. Some of her favorite things to make for the Christmas holidays were fruitcake, date pinwheel cookies, macaroons and decorated sugar cookies. German chocolate cake was one of her specialties, as was lemon meringue pie, although she made a wide variety of pies and cakes.
Over the years, she was the most enthusiastic member of her daughter's fan club. She provided transportation to countless piano lessons and oversaw the daily practice with encouragement and suggestions. She was involved in all sorts of science fair and other school projects. She taught Valerie to type before she entered high school so she never needed to take it in school. Her excellent grammar and English made these subjects a breeze for her daughter as she imitated her mother's example.
Another skill for which she was well known was her ability as a seamstress. She made almost all of her own clothes, as well as those of her daughter. She was skillful in altering patterns to create new styles and had excellent taste in her designs and choice of fabric. Her achievements weren't limited to the ordinary. She made suits, coats and even covered shoes with matching fabric. Even the furniture benefited from her abilities, and she re-upholstered several pieces and made all of the drapes and curtains.
Her greatest triumph as a seamstress probably came in 1965 as she completed her daughter's wedding gown and veil. It was described in the newspaper account as follows: "The bride, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Curtis Hammer of Vassar, wore a dress of Satapeau, the bodice and sleeves of which were highlighted with re-embroidered Alencon lace and pearls. A large bow accented the back of the skirt, which fell into a chapel train. She carried daisy mums and stephanotis." So many hours went into that beautiful creation as the tiny pearls and lace were added by hand.
Catherine was able to return some of the love her mother-in-law had shown over the years by caring for her in their home prior to her death in June of 1969. She had many friends and was always willing to help someone in need.
Although she had enjoyed relatively good health for many years, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1969. She was able to benefit from some of the discoveries in medicine, including L-dopa and Sinemet, which kept the symptoms pretty well under control for several years.
They were able to enjoy several wonderful trips to Florida and other places in the south during the winter. They went to visit their daughter in Toronto as often as they were able. In 1969, she especially enjoyed being there for the birth of their first grandchild, a baby boy named Steven Oliver Skelton. She stayed for a week and helped out. When their first granddaughter, Anne Marie, was born in November of 1970, her sewing machine was again pressed into service sewing lovely dresses! Anne was followed by Nora, Miriam and Joanna, so she had plenty of opportunity to use her talents.
In 1974, Curtis retired from his job at the Saginaw News. This gave him more time to care for the large old home and huge yard. This continued for five more years. Catherine's Parkinson's disease was creating more problems. They put their home up for sale in 1979, and when that happened, they moved to Cave Junction, Oregon to be near their daughter and her family.
The move went smoothly, and Catherine was delighted with her new home at 222 Ollis Road in Cave Junction. By February 1980, her shaking had gotten out of control and she went into the hospital in Medford. The doctors told of a surgery being performed in Portland that could stop the tremor. On March 12th, she was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon, and March 18th underwent the needed surgery. It was successful and was followed considerable physical therapy. Curtis took a room near the hospital and was with her every day. On April 11th when she was discharged, she went to her daughter's home where their family cared for her until she was able to return to her own home.
Catherine made an amazing recovery and was able to enjoy another eleven years with her family. She got back to baking those lemon meringue pies and even did some sewing. She enjoyed all of the birthdays and special holidays with grandchildren and got to see them growing up. She and Curtis made a trip to Arizona to visit Catherine's brother, Wayne and his wife, Alice. They also visited Bud and Glenn Welsh, Curtis's cousins and their families. They also made a trip to southern California to visit Fred and Christine Hammer. Curtis's sister, Dorothy, and her husband, Roy Petrie, made Cave Junction a regular stop on their annual vacation during those years. Other relatives also came to visit and were welcome guests.
The last year, Catherine's strength began to wane, and on June 28, 1991, she quietly slipped away. Because of her strong Christian faith, this was not a dreaded event to her but merely the last leg of her journey home.




Buried in Hawthorne Memorial Gardens, Grants Pass, Oregon

  Noted events in her life were:

• Baptism, 21 Jun 1920, Bay City, Bay Co., Michigan. Trinity Lutheran Church

• Confirmation, 4 Apr 1935, Michigan.

• Entered U. of M. hospital, 25 Oct 1935, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. for cure of tuberculosis

• Discharged from hospital, 21 Jul 1939, Howell, Michigan.

• High School Graduation, 12 Jun 1941, Mayville, Tuscola Co., Michigan.

• Started Business College, 2 Sep 1941, Bay City, Bay Co., Michigan. lived with aunt while attending Bay City Business College

• Finished Business College, 24 Apr 1942, Bay City, Bay Co., Michigan. Bay City Business College

• Worked for Vassar High School, 1942-1943, Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan. worked as secretary

• married to John Curtis Hammer, 12 Jun 1943, Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan. ⁴²

• birth of child, 15 Aug 1946, Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan.

• Removal of lung, 1948, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan.

• Onset of Parkinson's disease, 1969, Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan.

• moved to Oregon, Dec 1979, Cave Junction, Josephine Co., Oregon.

Catherine married John Curtis Hammer on 12 Jun 1943 in Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan.⁴² (John Curtis Hammer was born on 25 Jun 1909 in Elba, Howard County, Nebraska,⁴⁴ died on 14 Aug 1997 in Cave Junction, Josephine Co., Oregon ⁴⁵ and was buried on 22 Aug 1997 in Grants Pass, Josephine, Oregon.)