Virginia Hammond

Virginia went home to be with her Lord and Savior on October 1, 2020. Among the loved ones that greeted Virginia in Heaven are her parents Leslie Roy (Bert) and Clara Anna Webster, as well as her husband from her first marriage, Glenn Maxwell and her husband from her second marriage, Calvin Hammond Jr.

Although an only child, she felt like she had brothers because of her cousins a block away. They taught her how to fistfight when she got bullied at school. That put a stop to that. She was especially close to her grandma Betty. She spent every day with her afterschool while her mother traveled to train cashiers for Krogers Grocery. Virginia had many lifelong friends. She was still in touch with her classmates from 1948.

Virginia was baptized at the First Christian Church of Augusta, Kansas. She was a Brownie, Girl Scout, and a Rainbow Girl. She loved to go fishing with her father, ride her bike, play the piano and sew. She started working the lunch shift every day at McCauly’s Drugstore at age 14. She did this to support her shopping trips by train in Witchita with friends. While still in high school, she was also a cub reporter for the Augusta Gazette.

Virginia played saxophone in the high school marching band where she met her future husband, Glenn, when he returned to finish his senior year after serving in the Navy during WWII. They married on July 4, 1948. Glenn went to work for Socony Mobile Oil on the pipeline in western Kansas. They moved to Hill City, Kansas due to the job. Virginia was secretary to the school superintendent for two years until her first daughter, Carol Ann was born in 1950 and a second daughter Glenda Irene was born in 1953. She remained active in church and civic groups. In 1956, Virginia opened her own family shoe and children’s clothing shop.

They went to Denver every three-day weekend and in 1960 they moved the store to Denver, Colorado. Glenn ran the shoe store while she worked in an accounting office in downtown Denver. They moved briefly to Fort Morgan and Loveland before settling back in Denver in the exact same house. They were married 29 years. On her own, she traveled to visit her daughters when they lived in Alaska and Washington D.C.

It was fate when Virginia met Calvin Hammond Jr, retired US Air Force Lt. Col on the only time either of them went to a singles dance. They married December 2, 1989. Virginia gained two step-daughters, more grandchildren and the sisters and brothers she had always wanted. She and Cal enjoyed many years together as they traveled extensively in the US visiting family, friends, and places until his death in May, 2012. After his death, Virginia moved to Hutto, Texas in September, 2012 and then on to the Calallen area of Corpus Christi in January of 2014.

Virginia was very excited to have made it to age 90 in August. She was very active and independent. She was proud to be living on her own, driving her own car, cooking, and taking college classes at Del Mar and on TV. She enjoyed getting on Facebook and participating in Sunday School. She enjoyed wearing her pink lipstick, trying out recipes and still sewing. She watched multiple church services on Zoom, Facebook and TV. Although a member of St. John’s Lutheran church, she also greatly enjoyed listening and watching additional services from the local Catholic service, and her step-grandson

Pastor David Hicks’s services at Waldon Ponds Church of the Nazarene. Her favorite hobby was genealogy. She enjoyed spending hours and hours researching ancestors back hundreds of years. She was excited to learn of her English and Scottish heritage. Back in Denver, she would go to the Highland games. She delighted in listening to bagpipe music, trying out English recipes, watching British mysteries, and Downton Abbey. For her 89th birthday, family took her to see a special viewing of the movie with tea and scones. She had loved her childhood pets and later her beloved dog Peaky very much. So much so, that she swore she would never get another pet, but then her cats walked into her life and demanded to be let in. She adored caring for and loving “her kids” – otherwise known as her cats.

Left to continue her legacy are daughters, Carol Ann Neiswonger (Gary), Corpus Christi, TX; Glenda Irene Maxwell, Springdale, AR; grandchildren Debra Neiswonger, Corpus Christi, TX; Greg Neiswonger (Michelle W.) Corpus Christi, TX; Scott Mase, Okinawa; Sherry Ann Giles (Josh), Leander, TX; Brian Mase (Keri), Rogers, AR; eight great grandchildren and four great, great grandchildren. When she married Calvin Hammond Jr. she gained two stepdaughters – Sandy Hicks (Paul), Cincinnati, OH; Linda Schwanke (Al), Seattle, Washington; and three more grandchildren – the Cincinnati Kids- Pastor David Hicks (Dana), Stephannie Hicks Smith (Nick), Mathew Hicks, and five more great grandchildren.

We will miss her terribly. We mourn the loss of her from our earthly lives here but we also celebrate her, her life and know that she is in heaven. We love you Virginia and wish you well on your new adventures. We will see you again one day in Heaven.

*Grandma Virginia left instructions that she wished for a family only service due to the virus with pink flowers and with the songs “In This Very Room” and her favorite piano piece of “Clair De Lune”. Since the service will be small, in lieu of flowers please send a donation in her name through the website to The Cattery or mailed to:

The Cattery Cat Shelter

1237 Saratoga Blvd

Corpus Christi, TX 78417

Afterwards, she wanted her ashes, along with the ashes of Cal and her beloved dog Peaky laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery in Augusta, KS next to her parents. She also included this poem to be shared and read at her service:

You can shed tears that she is gone,

Or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and hope that she will come back,

Or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

- Anonymous