Leo P. 'Sam' Hammer, Jr.

RONAN - Leo P. "Sam" Hammer, Jr., 62, went to join the ancestors on Thursday at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan.

A member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe, Sam was born April 20, 1942 in St. Ignatius to Angelis Finley and Leo Hammer, Sr. Sam was orphaned at a young age and raised in Ronan by a kind and understanding woman, Elizabeth Yatelamee Hammer.

A dedicated veteran of Vietnam, Sam enlisted at 17 with the U.S. Marine Corps and served two terms in Vietnam/Indochina Theatre. Upon his return he settled into raising his family with wife Joanne Weaselhead whom he had met in 1967. They made their home in Ronan, Fresno, Calif., Missoula and Evaro before returning to Ronan.

Sam was trained in heavy equipment operation in Fresno and auto mechanics in Missoula.

He worked for the Missoula Housing Authority and later for the Tribe before becoming disabled from a motorcycle accident.

Always an optimist, Sam kept up his hobbies of working on cars, huckleberry picking, building things, hunting and fishing and spending time with his kids and grandkids. He always had a smile and loved his dogs. Secretly, though, he just wished he would hit a Keno jackpot more often and he enjoyed talking to the neighbor about the in and outs of the neighborhood.

He was preceded in death by his son David, who died as a toddler; his parents; brothers Lloyd Hammer, Roger Vanderburg and Bobby Hammer; sister Victoria Hammer, and niece Roberta Fairbanks.

Survivors include his wife Joanne of Ronan; his children, Michael, Brenda and Renae; his grandchildren, Shawn, David, Roberta, Erik Hammer; his siblings, Dennis Hammer, Tony Hammer, Pascal Hammer, John Hammer, Eneas Hammer, Katherine (Hubert) Fairbanks, Helen Hammer and Annie Hammer, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services with military honors were held Monday in the Longhouse.