Joyce Ann Hammack

1931 - 2025

Joyce Ann Hammack
Born: September 25, 1931 in Streator, IL
Died: September 29, 2025 in Ottawa, IL
Joyce Ann Hammack, 94 of rural Ottawa passed away Monday (September 29, 2025)
at the LaSalle County Nursing Home.
A visitation will be held Friday from 10A.M. until 12noon at the Grand Ridge Funeral
Home. Services will be held at 12noon at the funeral home with burial following at the
St. Andrew's Cemetery.
Serving as pallbearers will be son, Donald Jensen, sons-in-law, David Marquardt and
John Chonowski, grandsons, Micah Jensen and Elijah Detwiler and Roger Bedeker.
Honorary will be Joshua Marquardt and Angel Jensen.
Joyce was born on September 25, 1931, in Streator to Gerald and Alice (Jenkins) Blair.
She married Donald Jensen Sr on December 26, 1948. He preceded her in death on
April 22, 1961. She later married Kenneth Hammack on June 27, 1964. He preceded
her in death on May 21, 1998.
Surviving is, Donald (Chris) Jensen of rural Ottawa, Gail (David) Marquardt of Hudson
and Jody (John) Chonowski of Oglesby, 5 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, her
brother John (Charlotte) Blair of Ransom, and several nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husbands, granddaughter Gabrielle Elizabeth
Jensen and a sister Janice Koetz.
Joyce attended Streator High School and started working for the Harvest Bakery just
out of High School where she met Donald Jensen whom she would eventually marry.
They both dreamed of settling on the land to own and farm it but that dream was
abruptly interrupted by Donald's untimely death. She settled down to raising her three
young children when her dream was enlivened with the marriage to Kenneth Hammack
who moved his new family to a farm west of Grand Ridge where she took up her dream
anew.
She was a farm wife, mother, and best friend to her children. She took her task of
caretaker of the land seriously and loved to care for her yard, garden and flowers. She
mowed up and down the road to keep it looking nice even though at one time she would
mow yards at two different properties. Her work on the farm ranged from disking the
ground in the spring to hauling the crops into the elevator in the fall. She enjoyed it all,
even helping to raise her grandchildren who lived just down the road.
She was an avid quilter, embroiderer and needle pointer and you would rarely see her
without her sewing gear in hand. She also was a painter and wall paperer who worked
for a local nursing home with her daughter, Jody. She was always busy and willing to
share what God had blessed her with.
Memorials may be made to the Grand Ridge Fire Department.
Grand Ridge Funeral Home
125 Sylvan Ave.
Grand Ridge, IL 61325
815-249-6813
www.winterrowdfh.com