Stella Hammill-Conerton
October 25, 1916 ~ May 8, 2009
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 11, 2009 at the Ree Heights Community Church with Pastor Sheena Thomson and Pastor Brian Jones officiating. Burial followed in the Morningside Cemetery, Ree Heights. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Sunday, May 10, 2009 with a 7:00 p.m., prayer service and Eastern Star service at Reck Funeral Home in Miller.
Stella Marie was the fourth child born to William and Stella Pearl (Hickcox) Voelker, October 25, 1916 in Ree Heights at the home of her grandparents, Noah Thomas and Nellie Phene (Talcott) Hickcox. Stella attended all twelve grades of school in Ree Heights.
Stella married Roy Hammill of Ree Heights on September 27, 1935 in Miller, one child Jeanie was born to this union. Stella and Roy lived in town until March of 1940 and later moving to the Doc Paddleford place north of Ree Heights. They moved back to Ree Heights in 1943. In 1948 or 1949 they purchased a grocery store which they ran for 13 years.
September 3, 1964, Stella received an appointment as postmaster in Ree Heights until her retirement on October 26, 1984. Roy passed away December 19, 1978. After retiring as postmaster she then purchased the Blanchard home in Miller. At that time it was a hard decision to make leaving Ree Heights being born there and living there most of her life
Not used to do doing anything, she soon got involved in many things. She was always interested in Ree Heights history. For twenty five years she gathered and wrote a vast amount as well as gathering old pictures. She had literally obtained hundreds and history to go with most of them. She wrote the weekly column “KcaB gnikooL” for the Miller Press. She also wrote poems, looked up history articles for individuals. Jeanie and her husband Gary now have a storage building full of newspaper clippings, pictures and everything that she gathered for twenty five years that has to do with history. In 2005 she completed her life dream and wrote a book, “Siding No. 4.”
Stella married Charlie Conerton June 18, 1988 in Miller and he passed away April 21, 1997. They hardly missed a dance if it was in driving distance and don’t think they missed too many auctions. After Charlie’s death she decided to sell her big house and moved to Pierre. That lasted about 2 weeks and she decided she wanted to be with her friends and move back to Miller, she lived there until October of 2008 in which she moved to the Kelly Retirement Home in Pierre to be close to her family.
A lifelong member of Ree Heights Community Church (formerly the Congregational), she taught Sunday School for over thirty years. After she moved to Miller she and her friends would take turns driving to Ree Heights for church. Stella had been a member of the Maxwell Chapter No.133 Order of the Eastern Star. On April 14, 2008, she received Recognition of Faithful Service for 60 years, attended several Grand Chapters, Past President of the Ree Heights Fire Auxiliary, Ladies Aid, Christian Parents, PTA, Helping Hand club, Women’s Club, Hand County Historical Society, Extension Club, Circle of the Presbyterian Church of Miller, National League of Postmasters, member of the Miller Hospital Auxiliary, Chairman of the Hand County Democrats for four years, 1998 she was awarded the Goldie Wells Memorial Award, she was a true democrat, we think she looked at the ballot, checked the democrat box, and if you weren’t democrat you didn’t get her vote, was a member of Business and Professional Club, survivor of cancer and always attended the annual cancer walks, even at 90 she was determined to make 1 lap. She found time to take a basic social dancing, also a member of the red hat ladies, yet still took time to take her daily walking.
She was an extraordinary person and had many friends being in Eastern Star, postmaster and other organizations. She was pretty proud of her family and often wished Roy was still here to enjoy them too. She and Roy enjoyed having granddaughters, Tammi and Renee, come to Ree Heights to spend time with them in the summer and take them on vacation. As sick as she was her last few days she still thought those great-great grands she called those babies could sit on her lap. When they were around she forgot the rest of the family.
Her memory will be cherished by her include her daughter, Jeanie (Gary) Hartman of Pierre, SD; granddaughters: Tammi (Terry) Florentz and Renee (Harvey) Wald of Pierre, SD; great grandchildren: Samantha Watkins, Kirra Watkins, Tanner and Aubrey Wald and great-great grandchildren: Jenna and Kennedy Poncelet; brother, George (Bernita) Voelker of Miller, SD; sister, Isabel Brindley of Federal Way, Washington and Leone Schultz, Tulare, SD; sister-in-law, Mildred Voelker of Long Beach, California; and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents; husbands: Roy and Charlie; brothers: Ernest, Willmer, Marion, Raymond, and LaVern; sisters: Evelyn, Inez Lawrence; sisters-in-laws: Lillie Voelker, Elsie Voelker, Betty Voelker; brother-in-laws: Harvey Lawrence and Marvin Schultz and nephew, Harvey Lawrence, Jr..
Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Stella's arrangements.
MINSTERS
Pastor Sheena Thomson
Pastor Brian Jones
CASKETBEARERS
Harvey Wald
Tanner Wald
Aubrey Wald
Terry Florentz
Samantha Watkins
Kirra Watkins
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS
Chuck Voelker
Terry Schultz
Randy Schultz
Tom Schultz
Kevin Schultz
Todd Schultz
USHERS
Tim Hammill
Ron Hammill
ORGANIST
Katherine Hieb
SOLOIST
Lara Lockner
"On Angel's Wings"
"In The Garden"
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN
"Old Rugged Cross"
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
I am her grenddaughter.
My deepest sympathy to Stella’s family! I met Stella during our years of membership in NAPUS, and always enjoyed seeing her. We traveled a few miles together. She will be missed.
Judy Ann Barnard
Retired Postmaster
Tulare, SD
Will miss Sellas yearly Christmas letter, she was always a good friend as wa roy, I have many fond memoires through OES of roy and Stella
Sincerely
Norma Deadrick
Harvey, Renee & Family:
So sorry to hear about your grandmother; we all know how special she is to your family. Our thoughts & prayers are with you at this time.
-Norm, Heather & Family
I am really sorry to hear the loss of Stella, she was a great person, i would always go visit her at the Assited Living Center in Miller, she taught me to play the piano which earler on i joined becasue of Stella.
Stella will be missed alot by everybody.
My condloses* go out to the Hammill Conerton family and friends.
We are friends of Jeanie & Gary Hartman and have wintered with them for several years in Texas. We’ve heard stories of her mom and family and know she was a special lady and will be missed by all. Our deepest sympathies to the family. Russ & Barb Roederer
We have read your Mothers history Jeanie and we think she must have been a very interesting lady. She has had a busy life full of social activities. You can be very proud of her as we know you will be.
There are alot of words to describe my grandma, Stella. But grand is not close enough. She was so much more than that. I only wish that every one could have such a wonderful relationship with there grandparents as we did. My family and I have such wonderful memories of her. Her passing has truly left a very large hole.
I only got to visit Stella 3 times in my life, but just from those 3 times i could tell how much she was loved, and how much she loved. I really loved to talk to her and listen to her stories. I will miss her so much. We love you Stella and you will be missed very much.