Obituary of Linda Hamm

September 1, 1927 – August 10, 2016 88 years – 11 months – 9 days Melinda Hedwig Harder was born in St. Anne, Manitoba, Sept. 1, 1927, to George N. & Mary (Wall) Harder. Melinda was the second of 4 children born to this union. The young family soon moved to Ontario’s fruit belt, the Niagara Peninsula, eventually settling on their own fruit farm near Beamsville, Ontario. At the age of 6, Melinda experienced a sudden and lasting name change when, on her first day of school, older brother Alfred proudly registered her as Linda – just Linda – taking it upon himself to protect his little sister from any future taunts and teasing that he seemed certain was inherent in the name Melinda! Thus, Melinda Hedwig became Linda Hedy Harder. Many of Linda’s childhood memories surrounded the illness of her mother. Of how, at the end of each school day she would race down the length of Maple Grove Road – a good mile or more – terrified that when she arrived home she would once again find her mother gone, having been taken away to the sanatorium. Mary suffered from tuberculosis, and each trip to the sanatorium meant leaving behind her young children. This ongoing illness caused George to lean more and more heavily on his oldest daughter Linda, who eventually quit school in order to keep life running in the Harder household. When Linda was 17, her mother passed away, an event that impacted her throughout her entire life. Soon after, and according to Mary’s express wishes, George married Elizabeth Weier, who became a much-loved mother and grandmother to all who make up the George Harder family. Into this union were born another son and daughter, bringing the siblings to a total of 6. Education was important in the Harder family, as was their Mennonite heritage, so with a new mother taking over household duties, Linda was free to continue her education and was sent ‘out west’ to do so. Arriving in Rosthern in the fall of 1945, Linda attended Rosthern Junior College completing her Grades 10 & 11 over the next two years. Her dream was to become a school teacher, however a handsome young man by the name of Alex Hamm got in the way of this dream being fulfilled, and on November 29, 1947 a new dream was born! Linda and Alex were united in marriage, in Vineland, Ontario. Shortly thereafter they settled in Hague, Saskatchewan, Alex’s home town, which became home for Linda for the next sixty plus years! Into this marriage were born 2 daughters, Rita Emily and Janice Marie. Together with Alex, Linda threw herself into ‘life on the prairies’! Together they worked hard to build a comfortable home, a beautiful yard, and a successful career, serving Hague and surrounding communities for many years, first through the grocery business, and later as employees at the Hague Hardware. From her earliest memories church was a big part of Linda’s life, and so it was that on May 20th, 1945, Linda was baptized upon the confession of her faith in Vineland United Mennonite Church. This set the stage for her married years, immersing herself in the work of Hague Mennonite Church. Whether teaching Sunday School and Girls Club, singing in the church choir, or devoting herself to the Mission Helpers, she gave it her all, and loved every minute of it! In her later years, Linda broadened the scope of her ministry to the broader community of Hague by devoting many hours of work towards helping establish the Saskatchewan Valley Museum in its present location. She brought this same enthusiasm into the work of her home – cleaning, cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, and growing all those beautiful flowers that brought her so much joy – sharing the fruit of her labors with so many others! Next to her flowers, Linda’s special hobbies were reading and music. Finding a good book was like finding buried treasure. How she loved to read! When in later years failing eyesight robbed Linda of this treasured pastime, she began to listen to audio books while baking up a storm in her kitchen, sharing with many, her delicious brown bread, cookies, and those one-of-a-kind peppernuts, that only she could bake! Her love of music was established early in life. Her dad together with his brothers, were known for their singing, and Linda was proud to be a choir member in her dad’s choir during her growing up years. When moving out west, Linda brought along this love of music and many an hour was spent at the piano playing and singing those old beloved hymns of faith. When her eyesight robbed her of this joy as well, she turned more and more to her treasured records, cassettes and CDs, keeping music near to her heart, and inadvertently, sharing it with the many caregivers that became a part of her life in later years, first at Bethany Place, Saskatoon, and then at the Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home. Everyone loved Linda’s music! “Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of Life; Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful words of Life; Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty; Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of Life…” – Philip P. Bliss Linda loved to serve others, and this was evident first and foremost at home, doing countless deeds of love for her family. As her family grew, first adding two sons-in-law, then three grandchildren, and later two granddaughters-in-law and three precious great-grandchildren, Linda just kept on giving. And we all loved it! So many precious memories! “Precious memories, unseen angels, sent from somewhere to my soul; How they linger, ever near me, and the sacred past unfold. Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul, in the stillness of the midnight, precious, sacred scenes unfold.” – J.B.F. Wright And then there was Linda’s faith. In many ways a quiet faith, but it formed the solid ground beneath her feet throughout the many trials and difficulties that life brought her way. An evening did not pass without the voice of Back to the Bible and Haven of Rest coming across the radio waves, or the rich baritone of George Beverly Shea ushering into her home a beautiful testimony of God and His only begotten Son, Jesus. “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather be His than have riches untold, I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway; I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.” – Rhea F. Miller/George Beverly Shea The death of Linda Hamm, age 88 years of Hague, SK occurred at the Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home on August 10, 2016. Linda leaves to mourn: her two daughters, Rita Paulo, Calgary, and Janice (Pete) Unger, Hague; grandson, Lonnie (Valerie) Unger, Calgary, together with great-grandchildren, Simeon, Adaya and Tirzah; granddaughter, Dondi Unger, Calgary; grandson, Karlin (Tiffany) Unger, Saskatoon; sister, Eleanor Lepp; sister-in-law, Rita Harder; brother, George (Hilda) Harder – all of Vineland; and sister, Marilynn (Rob) Wedel, Tabor, Alberta. Linda is predeceased by her husband, Alex A. Hamm (1995); parents, George N. and Mary Harder; mother, Elizabeth Harder; brothers, Alfred and Arthur; son-in-law, Marshal Paulo; brother-in-law, Dick Lepp; and great-granddaughter, Lucy Siqi Unger. The Funeral Service will be held on Monday, August 15, 2016 at 2:00 P.M. at Hague Mennonite Church. Interment will take place in Hague Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Sask Valley Hospital Foundation Inc., Box 93 Rosthern, SK S0K 3R0, http://www.svhf.ca. Arrangements are in care of Funk’s Funeral Home, Rosthern, SK.