Doris May Hammes

With gratitude for her long, full life, we sadly share with you the passing of our mother, Doris May Hammes, on the evening of April 21, 2025. Doris inspired those in her life with a legacy of beauty, love and strength. She joins her late husband, Elroy, as well as many friends and family who enjoyed enduring moments of life with her and preceded her in death.

Doris was born on the morning of May 7, 1925, in Racine, where she remained a lifelong resident. As a child, Doris especially enjoyed the Racine beaches, appreciating the simple pleasure of collecting colored glass as it washed up on the shoreline. She participated in the war effort of WW2 as a tool designer at JI Case Co., where she met her true love and lifelong partner, Elroy Hammes. Coworkers and friends first, they were blessed with an enduring love and devotion to each other as husband and wife. They went on to raise their three daughters, Donna (Harvey), Janet, and Carrie (Ken), in the home they built together on Dwight Street in the early 1950s.

Doris was an “all-around gal” and a lover of beauty. She (literally and figuratively) danced her way through life in good times, showed kindness to others in their difficulties, and learned to weather her own challenges with grace and resilience.

She mastered the Hula Hoop and learned the Hulu. She sang and danced “Great Balls of Fire” along with Jerry Lee Louis as she vacuumed and dusted the house. She frosted and decorated endless cakes for family occasions. She enjoyed her days clerking at JC Penneys, using her keen eye for style as she picked out the perfect coats for her lady customers. She spent endless hours sitting on a hard boat bench, catching more fish than you could count - on more lakes than you could count - in Canada, Northern Wisconsin, and at Brown’s Lake. During their last fishing outing, Doris and Elroy found themselves outrunning a rogue wildfire closing in on their fishing group of 4 up in Canada. With terror, grit and determination, they sped endlessly across the lake amid fiery sparks and acrid smoke, with Elroy at the stern and Doris on the bottom of the boat, until finally reaching safety at the far shore of the lake.

As nature lovers, she and Elroy hauled their tiny camper to many National Parks, eventually settling at a permanent site in Door County, where they had the pleasure of many friendships, warm campfires, endless card games, shopping, and beach strolling. The two also traveled internationally to Europe and Malaysia, and enjoyed cruising.

But probably above anything, Doris cherished the 60 years of ballroom dancing with Elroy and many mutual dance friends throughout their marriage. Each weekend, she put on a lovely dress, made sure Elroy was sporting the perfect tie, and off to a dance they went. They often celebrated anniversaries/birthdays at local dances with a festive cake, a quick step, waltz, and rumba. Wherever Doris is now, we hope she is in the company of God and enduring good friends.

Doris is survived by her three daughters, husband Elroy, brother-in-law James Hammes (Barbara); cherished nephew Miche Priaulx and wife Judy, their children Cassie (Lenny), Brett ( Lindsay) and Mike (Kim), and their grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces and nephews in the Hammes family. She was preceded in death by her husband Elroy, her brother Earl, and her nephew Donald.

Her daughters would like to extend a very special thank you to Sarah, Angela, and Jen at (or formerly at) Lakeshore at Siena, as well as to those among the nursing staff who treated Doris with the personal respect and compassionate care that frail, elderly residents should always be given. Memorial donations may be offered to the charity or church of your choice.

Private services will be held.

Doris will be dearly missed but forever remembered for the joy, beauty, and kindness she brought to this world.