Elmer A. Hamma
Elmer Hamma, formerly and for fifteen years president of the Miami township school board, was born on the farm on which he now living there and has spent the greater part of his life there, a continuous resident on that place since his marriage in 1888. He was born on October 30, 1862, son of Andrew and Matilda (Carter) Hamma, who had been residents on the farm here referred to since 1854 and whose last days were spent there.
Andrew Hamma was born in York county, Pennsylvania, and was fourteen years of age when he came with his parents to Ohio, the family driving through and settling in Greene county. Here he grew to manhood and became a farmer. He married Matilda Carter, who was born in the neighboring county of Madison and who was living there at the time of her marriage, and a few years later, in 1854, bought the farm in Miami township above referred to, and there established his home. Andrew Hamma and wife were the parents of thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy, the others being the following: David, deceased; John Madison, also deceased; Angle Belle, wife of Horace Shaw, of the neighboring county of Clark; Elizabeth, wife of John Shaw, also of Clark county; Matilda, wife of Charles Petrey, of Clark county; Myrtle, wife of Charles Garlow, of that same county; Mabel, wife of Earl Oglesby, of Yellow Springs; Dessie, wife of the Rev. Carl Aue, of Emporia, Kansas; Elmer A., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Dr. Charles Hamma, formerly and for years a practicing physician at Springfield, who enlisted his services upon the declaration of war against Germany in 1917 and is now connected with the medical corps of the national army, attached to the expeditionary forces in France, and Ervine, who is married and is living in California. Andrew Hamma and wife were Lutherans and their children were reared in that faith.
Reared on the home farm in Miami township, Elmer A. Hamma received his early schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and when fourteen years of age went up into Clark county, where he remained twelve years, or until his marriage in the fall of 1888, after which he returned to the old home place and established his home there. For fifteen years he rendered service as president of the Miami township school board, holding that office continuously during that period or until his resignation about five years ago.
On October 20, 1888, at Clifton, Mr. Hamma was united in marriage to Hattie Gowdy, of that place, daughter of James and Louise (Confer) Gowdy, both members of pioneer families in Greene county, and to this union five children have been born, namely: Howard, who is now working on the Whitehall farm in this county and who married Mabel Dewine and has one daughter, Louise; Nellie, who married Edward Lampert, of Xenia, and has one daughter, Martha; Mabel, who is at home with her parents; Marjorie, who married Ted Haines, an engineer on the Big Four railroad, now living at Sharonville, in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and has two children, Pollyanna and Frances; and Dorothy, wife of Roy Ferrell. a farmer living in the neighboring county of Clark. The Hammas are Lutherans.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918