Delbert Hammons

Delbert Hammons, 87, of Clayton, went to be with his lord and savior, on Monday morning, October 9th, 2017 at his home. Delbert was a member of the Upper Room Church, Mooresville, Indiana. He was born in Portersburg, Kentucky on February 10th, 1930 to Richard and Rebecca (Burkhardt) Hammons. Delbert was married to the only woman he ever loved, Martha Pearl (Martin) Hammons, a woman he was married to for 67 wonderful years. Delbert and Martha moved to Indianapolis from London, Kentucky in 1951 where he worked for various companies in Indianapolis, as well as having a Sinclair gas station in Bridgeport, Indiana and Hammons Brothers Asphalt Paving. He was a mechanic at Hygrade Food Products, Stark, Wetzel & Company and retired from the GM Truck and Bus in 1992.

A quiet man, he was strong and hard-working. He could fix anything from a diesel tractor trailer to a farm tractor, and often worked on people’s vehicles when they couldn’t afford to have it fixed at a garage. He even dug a new well when the old one ran dry. He loved gardening and was a farmer who prided himself in providing for his family by growing all his own vegetables, milk, beef and pork. His hands said a lot about him; they were so calloused that he never wore gloves — whether it was working on a diesel engine with oil beneath his fingers nails or in the garden putting his hands in the fresh dirt. He could pull poison ivy out by the roots or put up new fencing without wearing gloves. Yet his hands were so gentle when he was holding a baby; he loved any baby he could get his hands on and they loved him. Those same hands were even more gentle when he was sitting by the side of someone who was sick or in need.

Delbert loved his family and is survived by his wife,, Martha, four daughters and three sons, Diana (Mike) Borden, Brownsburg; Phyllis (David) Oliver, Indianapolis; Wayne (Joyce) Hammons, Clarksville, TN; Keith (Jenny) Hammons, Greenwood; Teresa (Jim) Donohue, Danville; Rebecca (Doug) Collier, Danville; and Tim (Monica) Hammons, Indianapolis. He had 21 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. He was one of 12 children in the family and is survived by two sisters Marlene and Anne of London, Kentucky.

Services will be held at Flanner and Buchanan – Decatur Township, 5463 Kentucky Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana with the Reverends Dirk Shaw and Ronnie Wagner officiating. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m;, Wednesday, October 11th with visitation also an hour prior to the services at 11 a.m. Thursday. Interment will follow at the Maple Hill Cemetery, Plainfield, Indiana.