Elma Hamm

Elma Hamm was born on January 2nd,1930 to Henry and Elizabeth Loewen in Foxwarren, Manitoba and went to her heavenly home on July 31, 2023. She was the 4th of 12 children. At the age of 11 the family moved to Yarrow, B.C. where she spent her teen years attending school and helping on the family farm. As a young adult she moved to Vancouver and began working at Nalley’s and then a Kilt factory. She returned to Yarrow to complete 2 years of Bible School which she found as a rich base for her faith. Later Elma returned to Vancouver to work and through friends met her future husband, John Hamm. She spent a summer teaching Children’s Bible School in Grand Forks before returning to Vancouver and accepting John’s proposal of marriage. Daughter Lorraine was born in Vancouver after which they moved to Chilliwack where Carolyn was born and then on to Clearbrook where Tony and Lawrence arrived. Elma assisted John in his business wherever possible from bookkeeper to painting wrought iron work. She was a patient, nurturing mother; cooking, sewing her children’s clothing and driving the children to activities and music lessons. Elma was known for her beautiful flower gardens and her wonderful baking which she shared generously while entertaining Sunday lunches and coffee times. She relaxed with knitting and painting and travelling with John. John and Elma were charter members of the Bakerview MB Church where Elma enjoyed being a guide and pal in the Pioneer Girls Program. A highlight for her was spending time with her 10 grandchildren and was later blessed with 22 great grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her loving husband John, her children Lorraine Ratzlaff (Jonathan), Carolyn Labun(Charles), Tony (Agnes) and Lawrence; grandchildren Melissa, Jordan, Stephanie, Andrea, Jameson, Carl, Chris, Laura, Shelley, Bobby and her great grandchildren. She will also be missed by her siblings Betty Born, David Loewen, Ruth Harder, Dan Loewen and Gordon Loewen. She was predeceased by siblings Abe, Henry, Mary, Tony, Ike and Elsie.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodlawnfh-abbotsford.com for the Hamm family.