Merrill Hammett

Merrill T. "Tommie" Hammett, Sr., age 76, passed away Saturday, January 27, 2007 at the Hospice Residence of Rutherford County following an extended illness. Mr. Hammett was born September 20, 1930 in Mooresboro, NC to the late James Nathan Hammett and Lou Ila Lovelace Hammett. He married Manuela Flores on March 7, 1953. He served in the United States Air Force retiring after 21 years of service. He returned to Rutherford County in 1968 and went to work for PPG, where he retired in 1996. He loved woodworking, rock collecting and the outdoors. He and his wife were also volunteers at the Prison Camp for the North Carolina Dept of Corrections at the Spindale Prison. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, James Howard Hammett, and a daughter, Noemi "Pee Wee" Carver.

Mr. Hammett is survived by his wife Manuela, of the home; four daughters, Ida Henson of Bostic, NC, Debra Kesterson and husband Terry of Forest City, NC, Cindy Brown of Forest City, NC, and Tamy Grier and husband Kennith of Hopewell, NC; a son, Merrill T. "Tommie", Jr and wife Judy of Forest City, NC; and a sister, Betsy Dobbins of Brevard, NC. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.