TORRINGTON – A Celebration of Life for Jeanne Marie Hamer, 86, will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on September 5, 2019 at the Cobblestone Inn on south Main Street in Torrington. Jeanne died August 25, 2019 at Goshen Healthcare Community and cremation has taken place. Her ashes will be interred in the Valley View Cemetery. Memorials may be given to All Saints Episcopal Church. Arrangements are by the Colyer Funeral Home and condolences may be sent to www.colyerfuneralhome.com.
A fourth-generation member of an early pioneer Wyoming family Jeanne was born March 1, 1933 in Lovell, Wyoming to Edward O and Francine (Clavier) Huntington. She attended schools in Lovell and earned Bachelor and Master Degrees in Music with Honors at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming and was a Graduate Assistant in the Music Department. She married Roger Hamer at Lovell in 1955. The family lived in Billings, Montana, Miles City, Montana and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, before moving to Torrington, Wyoming, where they have lived since 1962. She was active as a church musician at Episcopal churches in Montana, Minnesota and Torrington where she directed the choir and served as organist for over forty years. She was Instructor of Music at Eastern Wyoming College from 1968 to 200, and served as Chairperson of the Music Department from 1970 to 1992, when she retired from full time teaching and was appointed Faculty Emerita. In 2015, she was the recipient of the EWC Distinguished Service Award. She continued teaching part time at the college for several years. In addition to the college performing groups, she directed the Torrington Community Chorus for eighteen years and prepared those combined groups for participation in performances in Nebraska, Wyoming and New York City. She was the Music Director for many musical theater productions at EWC. She helped organize the Eastern Wyoming Fine Arts Council and served as President for several years. Active as a soprano soloist, she appeared with orchestras and choruses in Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. She was the soprano in the Barta Trio and premiered several original works written for the group by well-known American composers, performing in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. She maintained a private vocal studio and trained singers for over forty years. After retiring at EWC, she became a member of the Cheyenne Chamber Singers, in Cheyenne, Wyoming for thirteen years.
Jeanne was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, Phi Kappa Phi Honorary, OES, PEO, AAUW, ACDA, NATS and WMENC. She was President of the Torrington Friends of Music Club, served two terms as President of the American Choral Directors in Wyoming and was Wyoming Governor of the National Association of Teachers of Singing for several years. She appeared in Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in American Education.
Jeanne was preceded in death by her father, mother, brother Burton E. Huntington and daughter-in-law Lisa Hamer. She is survived by her husband Roger Hamer of Torrington; son Michael Hamer of San Jose, California; daughter Kathryn Hamer-Smith and son-in-law Walter Smith of Torrington; grandchildren Patrick Hamer, Andrew (Laura) Hamer, Kathryn M. Hamer, Elizabeth Hamer and fiancé Jason Bohnert all of San Jose; great grandchildren, Kianna Hamer, Maverick Hamer and Brady Hamer all of San Jose; nephew Ted (Michelle) Huntington of Douglas, Wyoming; great nephew Seth Huntington of Douglas; and great niece Renee (Nick) Kendall of Glenrock.
