Clarence "Sonny" Hammer

Clarence “Sonny” W. Hammer, age 88, of Limestone, Tenn., passed away on April 21, 2022, at Durham-Hensley Nursing Home of Chuckey where he had been a resident since August 2021, following an illness and hospitalization. Previously, he had lived all his life in the home where he was born on August 21, 1933. He went to work at the young age of fifteen, following the death of his father. Just after the close of the Korean War, Sonny was drafted into the U.S. Army where he was a specialist first class and a sharp shooter. He and his surviving wife, Shirley, lived on and near several Army bases around the country. As part of his Army training, he was sent to Detroit, Mich., to mechanics’ school and became an Army tank mechanic. Sonny was always proud of his military service and was always eager to share one of his many stories about Army life. Upon his return home, Sonny went to work for the Magnavox company from which he retired in 1997 after 44 years of service. In years past, he raised a large garden, from which he generously shared corn, green beans, and tomatoes with relatives, friends, and neighbors. He was a member of the Philadelphia Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he had served as an elder and treasurer and where he was active as long as his health permitted.

Sonny was preceded in death by his parents, Johnny and Sarah Mae (Hayes) Hammer and sisters Ruth (Polie) Stockton, Blanche (Sam) Burgner, Blonde (Frank) Kimery, (Mary Nell (Edgar) Kimery, and Cleo (Herman) Wilhoit.

He is survived by Shirley (Burgner) Hammer, his beloved wife of almost 68 years; son Rev. Randy (Mary Lou) Hammer of Oak Ridge, TN; son Tim (fiancée Candace Crawford) Hammer of Limestone; and daughter Lisa (Roger) Morrow of Limestone; grandchildren Nathan (Jewel) Hammer of Oxford, MS; Kristin (Todd) Evans of Brentwood, TN; Eric Morrow of Limestone; Kelsey (Derrick) Garland of Jonesborough; and Kayla (Jared) Wilkerson of Johnson City; eight great-grandchildren; eight nieces and nephews and a brother-in-law, James Burgner.

Visitation with the family will be from 12-2 on Tuesday, April 26, at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home with the funeral service at 2 in the Kiser-Rose Hill Chapel with Reverend Randy Hammer officiating. Interment will take place later that afternoon at the Philadelphia Community Cemetery at Limestone.

Pallbearers will be, Nathan Hammer, Eric Morrow, Terry Wilhoit, Jordan Kimery, Derrick Garland, Jared Wilkerson, Allen Brown and Randy Davis.

Honorary pallbearers will be, Roger Morrow, Todd Evans, Eddie Kimery, Gary Kimery, Robert Stockton, Larry Dayton, Richard Wilhoit, Ralph Greene, Ray Stewart and Raymond Fisher.

Online condolences may be sent to the Hammer family at www.kiserrosehillfuneralhome.com