Louise (Baker) Hammonds Rothston

Louise Hammonds Rothston, 93, North Manchester, Indiana passed away at 12:01 a.m. on January 28, 2018 at Timbercrest Retirement Community, North Manchester, Indiana due to complications from a stroke. Daughter of Sherman and Clara Malinda (Moser) Baker, Louise was born on March 29, 1924 in a small house on 2nd Street, in North Manchester, Indiana.

As a child, Louise enjoyed helping her grandparents on their farm in Liberty Mills, Indiana. She also enjoyed catching fish in the Eel River, when she lived on Riverside. Louise was very active in sports and was the catcher on her older brother’s neighborhood baseball team.

After graduating from Central High School in 1942, Louise eloped with the love of her life, Leslie Hammonds on July 11, 1942.  He was drafted into the Army Air Force six months later, during WW II, so they endured being apart for the greater part of the next two years. Leslie and Louise were married for 53 years before Leslie passed away in September 1995.

Music was a big part of her life. Louise played an upright bass in her husband’s dance band. Along the way, she also learned to play piano, organ, guitar, mandolin, and recorder. During high school band, Louise played a French horn. Playing instruments wasn’t the only thing Louise could do musically, she was also a wonderful singer and all her children learned to sing harmony from her. She always wanted to be a nurse, but due to the Depression, funds were not available for college. Although she never became a nurse, Louise passed the passion down to her children and grandchildren, in which one son became a doctor, two daughters are nurses, two granddaughters are nurses and one great granddaughter is a Nurse Practitioner.

Louise was a homemaker most of her life and was known as the neighborhood go to nurse and a wonderful pie baker. She had a big garden and several fruit trees, in which she canned or froze everything. A wonderful seamstress and often saved money by fixing and making her family clothes. Louise worked outside the home for a period of time as a foreman at Heckman Bindery. She also worked part time at the P.N. Hirsch clothing store. In 1976 Louise and Leslie retired to Florida.

In 2001, Louise met Jim Rothston. They were married 5 years and enjoyed traveling until he passed away in 2006. In 2014, Louise moved back to North Manchester, to stay with her daughter Susie, after she had a serious car accident. She had lived in Florida for 38 years. The past three years Louise has enjoyed grandchildren, shopping and plays. She was a member of the Congregational Christian Church in North Manchester.

The loving memory of Louise Hammonds Rothston will be forever remembered by her two sons, Dr. Max (Cari) Hammonds, Hendersonville, North Carolina and Roger Lee Hammonds Sr., Conroe, Texas; three daughters Marty Quance, Warsaw, Indiana, Ruth Elaine (Ted) Hamilton, Deland, Florida and Susie Scott, Silver Lake, Indiana; one brother Sherman Eugene (Caroline) Baker, Charleston, South Carolina; eighteen grandchildren, thirty-nine great-grandchildren and nineteen great-great grandchildren. Also surviving are several step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren. Louise was preceded in death by her parents, Sherman and Clara Malinda Baker; husband, Leslie Hammonds, second husband, James Rothston; one brother, Arthur Ray Baker; one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.

Family and friends may call Saturday, February 3, 2018 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at McKee Mortuary, 1401 State Road 114 West, North Manchester, Indiana. A celebration of life service will begin at 4:00 p.m. at McKee Mortuary. Pastor J.P. Freeman will officiate. Burial will be at a later date at Oaklawn Cemetery, 600 Beckley Street, North Manchester, Indiana.

Memorial contributions can by made to Prater Food Pantry, 310 North Walnut Street, North Manchester, Indiana 46962