Kenneth Hamm, age 89, of Nemaha, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, March 7, 2019.
   Kenneth William Hamm, the son of G.D. “Duke” and Evelyn Russell Hamm, was born July 12, 1929, in Storm Lake, Iowa. He joined his older sister, Dorothy, on the family farm south of Nemaha. He was baptized and confirmed in the Nemaha United Methodist Church where he served and lived his faith as a lifelong member. He graduated in 1947 from Nemaha High School where he excelled in basketball and baseball, especially as a pitcher. He also played for several years with the Nemaha town team. He attended Buena Vista College after receiving a baseball scholarship, but the illness of his father brought him home to begin his farming career on the farm north of town. 
   Kenny was united in marriage in 1949 to Anita Cook at the Nemaha Methodist Church. They became parents of Kevin, who died in infancy, Janet, James and Nancy. He and his family worked hard improving and maintaining the homestead and a large Holstein dairy herd, which was recognized as the top producing herd in Iowa in 1973. He was also honored as an Iowa Master Dairyman in 1973 and was chosen to become a member of the Dairy Shrine in 1989. He took great pride in his family and his farm and worked tirelessly for both of them. 
  Throughout the years, Kenny and Anita enjoyed attending hundreds of activities involving their children, grandchildren and friends. His roots were deep as he lived his entire life within a mile of Nemaha, where he will remain in his final resting place. His love of the community was foremost and in his later years he enjoyed his local coffee friends. May he be remembered as a dedicated farmer whose only enemy was weeds and who lived his love of faith, family and farming, especially all the years he worked alongside his son, Jim.
   He was preceded in passing by his son, Kevin, his sister, Dorothy and her husband Gerald Hines, his parents, parents-in-law Merritt and Ruth Cook, sister-in-law Mary Lou Cook, sister and brother-in-law Patricia and Raymond Combes, nephews Linne Hines and Brian Blass and niece Jolene Blass Perryman.
   Kenny leaves to mourn, his wife of 69 years, Anita; children: Janet (Scott) Onstot of Lake View, James Hamm of Nemaha and Nancy (Dean) Stock of Lake View; grandchildren: Emily (Mike) Busch of Lake View, Matthew (Kelly) Onstot of Cumming, Gregory Onstot and Fiancee Nikia Fleming of Des Moines, Erica (Drew) Wiener of Omaha, Nathan (Vanessa) Hamm of Urbandale, Sondra (Jeremy) Rierson of Carroll and Kristen (Scott) Poen of Lake View; 11 great grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.
   A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2019, at the United Methodist Church in Nemaha, IA, with Pastor Laurel Westerkamp officiating. Farber & Otteman Funeral Home of Sac City is in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be at the funeral home in Sac City from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS: The family has requested that memorials be made to the family in Kenny’s memory so that they may donate to local area programs and organizations.