1924 - 2021
Thelma Mildred Hunter Hammond passed away on August 12, 2021 at the age of 96. She was
born on November 14, 1924 in Wheeler, Texas to Guy and Roberta Hunter. She was the
youngest of three daughters who all grew up on a farm near Wheeler. She graduated from high
school at the age of 16, and attended West Texas State College in Canyon, Texas, where she
graduated in 1944 at the age of 19 with a business degree.
Thelma worked in a defense plant for about a year. When that closed down, she was
encouraged by friends to take a teaching job in El Paso, Texas, where she arrived in the late
summer of 1945. She taught fifth grade for two years. Thelma married Lee Rogers Hammond,
Jr. in 1947, and they were married for almost 61 years until his death in 2008.
Thelma was an active member of Trinity-First United Methodist Church for over 70 years, and
taught the Wedding Band Sunday School Class for nearly 30 years. She was very active in the
United Methodist Women and served as president three times. Thelma was a member of the
boards of Houchen Community Center and Newark Hospital, and served two terms as chairman
of the board of Houchen. She continued to do volunteer work for many years.
Her hobbies included gardening, reading and giving book reviews for various organizations in El
Paso, and traveling. In their later years, Thelma and Lee enjoyed extensive travels with friends
in the US and overseas, including three trips to Europe and a trip to the Holy Land in Israel.
Thelma is survived by son Lee Rogers Hammond III and his wife Katherine Green Hammond of
Albuquerque, New Mexico; daughter Martha Hammond Dickson of Columbia, South Carolina;
son Donald Robert Hammond and his wife Susan Davis Hammond and grandsons Kyle Davis
Hammond and Nathaniel Rogers Hammond of Austin, Texas.
Thelma was a loving and caring wife, mother, and grandmother, and she will be deeply missed.
Thelma will be interred at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery on September 27, 2021. A memorial
service will be held on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 10:00 am at Martin Funeral Home West, 128 N. Resler Dr. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Trinity-First United Methodist Church, 801 N. Mesa Street, El Paso, Texas 79902.
