She was born to Mr. & Mrs. Albert Honeywell (Smith) on November 15, 1938 near Oakdale, NE. Her family left the farm and moved to Higbee, MO. Eventually she and her family moved back to Pierce, NE due to her health. At the age of six, she asked Jesus to come into her life. When she was in grade school she and her family moved to Holdrege, NE where her father served as farm manager of Christian Children’s Home where she enjoyed being “one of the kids.” The family then moved to Brunswick, NE and eventually to Neligh, NE where she attended junior high and high school and graduated in the class of 1956. During high school she taught Vacation Bible School for American Sunday School Union and began a long history of teaching children.
After high school, she taught in a one-room school before attending Central City Christian College. In the fall of 1957, she moved to St. Paul, MN to attend Saint Paul Bible College and graduated with her diploma in May 1960. She worked her way through college by working at Bethesda Lutheran Hospital. Upon returning to Nebraska, she worked at Tilden Community Hospital.
February 10, 1961 she was engaged to Arnie Hamill and moved to Omaha to work at Mutual of Omaha. They were united in marriage on June 17, 1961 and made their home in Omaha while Arnie finished his studies at Grace Bible College and the University of Omaha.
Upon his graduation, they moved to Funk, NE to serve as pastor to Emmaus Evangelical Free Church. This began 31 years of serving five different congregations throughout the Midwest: Emmaus Evangelical Free Church; East Chain Evangelical Free Church, East Chain, MN; Cary-Grove Evangelical Free Church, Cary, IL; Minden Evangelical Free Church, Minden, NE; and Calvary Bible Evangelical Free Church, Boulder, CO.
She was an active pastor’s wife and supported Arnie through his work at each of these churches. She taught Sunday School and VBS, worked in the nursery, as well as serving Women’s Missionary Society. She began as an AWANA leader in 1980 and her dedication to serving children through AWANA continued the next 40 years until her final illness no longer made it possible.
While living in Funk, they adopted their first son, Jerry, on March 17, 1969 and they adopted their second son, Brian, on July 1, 1971 while living in East Chain, MN through Nebraska Children’s Home.
In 1988, they moved to Longmont, CO and at this time she began working the night shift as a CNA at Golden West Manor in Boulder, CO. Eventually, she took a CNA position with Cinamon Park Assisted Living in Longmont, CO where she worked for 28 years until retiring on her 80th birthday.
She was a 10-year breast cancer survivor. She was an incredibly dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. Family was always her highest priority and she relished any opportunities she had to spend time with her children and grandchildren and take in their activities. She rarely missed a game, play, concert, or award ceremony. She enjoyed the flowers in her yard, working on photo albums, and her secret stash of chocolate but her greatest joys were animals, particularly her cats, and serving children. Not only did she positively impact the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she was a peaceful guiding presence in the lives of hundreds of others she taught throughout her lifetime.
She passed away peacefully at home with Arnie at her side after a one-year battle with colon cancer.
Inez is survived by her husband, Arnie, of 59 years; son Jerry (Sarah) Hamill, and their children Harper, and Holden of Westminster, CO; son Brian Hamill of Longmont, CO and his daughter Alexandria (Justin) Hamill and their children Douglas and Mason and his daughter Aurianna Hamill. She is also survived by her sister, Alberta (Lawrence) Porter of Neligh, NE and her children Doreen Dunn, David (Jan) Dunn, and Denise Dunn. As well as, her brothers and sisters-in-law: Don and Bev Hamill and their children Peggy (Keith) Sorensen and Joanne (Mike) Garnett; Jim and Marlene Hamill and their children Jay (Elaine) Hamill and Tim (Tori) Hamill; Darlene (Dave) Hampton and their children Rodney (Tina) Hampton, Randy (Michaela) Hampton, and Robby (Pamela) Hampton; Karon Hamill and Ann Venteicher. She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Hazel Honeywell, and brother-in-laws, Junior Hamill and David Dunn.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Inez’s name to AWANA International, www.awana.org/donate
Due to current COVID restrictions, a memorial service will be held at a later date.
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