Rachel Waunita Phillips Hammar

Rachel Waunita (Phillips) Hammar, 91, passed away quietly at her home on April 18, 2010, surrounded by her family. Rachel was born the fourth youngest of 17 children to John Scott Phillips and Georgia Lavone Hill on November 13, 1918, in Stanberry, Missouri. Shortly thereafter she moved with her family to a farming community near Waverly, Kansas. As a young woman, she accepted employment in the Kansas City area where she met Carl Hammar. They were married on July 12, 1940, and have lived together in the Kansas City area for most of their married life of nearly 70 years. Rachel was a long-standing member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post Memorial Unit #598 in which she served many years in various offices and was a familiar presence at their numerous volunteer activities. She was a member of the Raytown Chapter of T.O.P.S., Hickman Mills Senior Citizens Group, and Terrace Lake United Methodist Church. Rachel and Carl loved traveling together, bowling, and playing pinochle, bingo and dominoes with their family and friends. Besides her husband, she is survived by one sister, Georgia Beeson of Belton, Missouri; one brother, James Phillips (Juanita) of Waverly, Kansas; one son, Phillip Hammar (Sharon) of Kearney Nebraska; one daughter, Edith Gatzmeyer (Jean) of Bowling Green, Missouri; four grandchildren and six great- grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 21, at 1:00 p.m. at Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City with burial at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. The family requests memorials to American Legion Post #598 or to the Kansas City Cancer Center. Online condolences may be made to www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.