CARMON FRANCES HAMILTON

Carmon Frances Hamilton, a resident of Clark County, Wash. since 1978, was born in Vernon, Texas, June 9, 1918, to John Wesley Jones and Margaret "Maggie" Carmon (Keylon) Jones. She died peacefully with three generations of family members present on Sept. 27, 2002, in Vancouver, Wash.

She is survived by four children, Doug Hamilton of Vancouver, Richard Hamilton of Keizer, Ore., Paula Driskell of Grants Pass, Ore., and Patti Hair of Vancouver, Wash.; siblings Sibyl Bailey of Vernon, Texas, Jonny Johnson of Ozona, Texas and Keith Jones of Sherman, Texas; eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband Nuble "Tex" Elmer Hamilton in 1959; and her first child, Nuble Elmer Jr., who died in infancy in 1941.

She quit formal schooling at eighth grade, in 1932, to work to help support her family during the Great Depression. Wed at age 19 to Nuble Hamilton, she and her husband worked in several agricultural business ventures during the early years of their marriage. They headed to Alaska in 1947 to homestead in the wilderness. At the time they had three children under the age of five, and she was pregnant with a fourth child. All four children attended school in Palmer and the Hamiltons became respected farmers in the community.

Three years after her husband's death, she left the Alaskan homestead and returned to Vernon, Texas. In Vernon Mrs. Hamilton worked as a seamstress and was a top employee recognized for her dependability, speed of production and the unwavering high quality of her work. Her tiny Vernon home was always open to needy family members and neighbors, and rarely was she without several extra adults and kids to feed, counsel and protect.

Moved by her family in 1978 from Vernon to retirement in Clark county, she settled in Senior Estates II, an apartment complex where she soon became a local Queen Bee, initiating many friendly neighborhood gatherings during the 23 years she lived there. She also loved Hamilton family dinners. First church of God, Vancouver, was her church home, but failing health and limited mobility restricted her to only periodic visits. She took great pride in attending the church's annual Singing Christmas Tree, where her children and grandchildren performed.

Her family said, "Carmon will be remembered as a loving, generous woman of substance who lived a humble, simple life devoted to the welfare of others."

A funeral service and Celebration of Life ceremony were held on Oct. 5 at Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel, 1101 NE 112th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98684.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Paralyzed Veterans of America, 7 Mill Brooke Road, Wilton, NH 03086.