Mary Hammond
East Saint Louis |
Early on the morning of December 10, 2024, after 91 years, 10 months, and 3 weeks on this earth, Mary Rosalyn “Roz” Hammond’s life peacefully ended. During her remarkable life, she guided and influenced the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless others in her role as mother. In her other role as a registered nurse, she helped to bring comfort and medical care to thousands of people.
Roz was born on February 18, 1933, the oldest of five children, to Raymond Francis Beller and Gertrude Mae (Verzal) Beller, of East. St. Louis, Illinois. Some of her earliest memories were visiting the family farm in Linn, Missouri during the Depression. On July 19, 1976, she married Gerald E. Hammond, M.D.
At a very young age, she decided she wanted to become a nurse. After graduating from Notre Dame High School in Belleville, Illinois, in 1951 she was accepted at DePaul School of Nursing, graduating in 1954. Her first assignment out of nurse’s training was to transport premature babies from smaller hospitals across southern Illinois to the intensive care units located at larger hospitals where the only equipment she had to work with was oxygen and a blood pressure cuff about the same size as the baby, but she never lost one. She stayed in pediatrics for many years, where many young patients requested “the nurse with the short hair whose shots don’t hurt.” Eventually she became a family practice nurse.
Another talent that emerged early was her musical gift. She would sit at her grandmother’s piano at the age of four and pick out melodies. “Give that girl lessons,” people would say. And so they did. She walked every day to her grandparents’ house to practice. Roz never felt comfortable being in the spotlight, but loved to accompany her sister Rita as she sang. But her love of music influenced all her children, going so far as to start the school band at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Belleville, Illinois, so not only her children but others had the opportunity to learn and play music. What she started is now evident in her grandchildren’s as well as her great grandchildren’s musical abilities. One of her regrets was not being able to be in a marching band because “You can’t march with a piano.”
After Roz retired, she created 69 quilts, most of which were gifted to family. Some very lucky individuals got more than one quilt: one when they were a baby, one when they married, and another for each child they added to the family. Occasionally she could be convinced to donate one for a worthy cause.
Retirement also included gourmet cooking for an appreciative audience of her husband Jerry, who would award each recipe with stars. They are now collected into a cookbook made by her granddaughter Brittany. Roz would go where she was needed, helping her daughter with cross country military moves countless times and babysitting grandchildren because they were “the best entertainment possible.”
She was the family genealogist and did extensive research of the family tree as well as preserve numerous family photos. Being the oldest of the oldest of the oldest, she relayed treasured memories of her grandparents and great grandparents which she knew as a child and would make them come to life with her stories.
Roz never shied away from something that needed to be done. She started the School Athletic Association at Our Lady Queen of Peace because they needed sports equipment. When one of her children did poorly in math because they copied the problems incorrectly off the board due to poor eyesight, she wondered how many other students had the same problem. Roz borrowed a machine to test eyes. and that first year, put 36 kids in glasses. In the following years, she added hearing tests on alternate years.
Roz is is survived by her son George E. (Phyllis) Marron III of Highland, IL, daughter M. Rondalyn Marron of Spring Lake, MI, daughter-in-law Lori Marron of Collinsville IL, son Glenn (Beth) Marron of Franklin, TN, step-children Mark Hammond of Dallas, TX, Gerald E (Carol) Hammond of Anacortes, Washington, Gregory M. Hammond of Memphis, TN, Stephanie M. (Brice) Buches of Lakewood, CO, Christopher (Rima) Hammond of Terrytown, NY, Natalie M. (Mark) La Rue of Olathe, KS, sister, Colleen B. (Ron) Zorko of Millstadt, IL, brother Raymond Patrick (Jan) Beller of Millstadt, IL, former husband George E. Marron, Jr. of Des Peres, MO, 10 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 14 step-grandchildren, 4 step-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sisters Rita A. Hayden, M. Gloria Winning, brother-in-law Jim Hayden, and her son Gwain E. Marron.
Heartfelt thanks go to the caregivers at Aviston Countryside Manor who provided great care and compassion during the last phase of her life.
Visitation will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024 at St. Paul Catholic Church, Highland, Illinois. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Highland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Roz’s name can be made to the St. Paul School Educational Foundation.
If you were lucky enough to have received one of her quilts, please bring it along to the church to share her gift with others.
Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home
