Amelia Hammonds' Obituary
We sadly announce the passing of our mother, Amelia Hammonds, Friday, April 4, 2025, peacefully, surrounded by her family, Terry, Michael, Larry and Robert, along with her grandchildren, Shannon and Tim Higgins.Amelia was born on July 10, 1925, in El Paso, Texas. She spent all her youth and early adulthood in her beloved city, graduating from Boone High School in 1944. She was active in her church along with her sister Tommie and close friend Lupe Tinajero. Mom and her friend both helped during World War II through the USO. She remained in El Paso until her early twenties, working full time and attending to the needs of her great-grandmother Maria, her Aunt Madrina Reyes and her Grandma Paula. However, her mother, Susana, Aunt Ramona and Tia Bartola, who had moved to Santa Paula, California, pleaded with her to join them. At first, she declined since she was so happy in her native Texas but finally changed her mind and headed to California to begin her next chapter in life.Mom moved to the El Arco Limoneira in Santa Paula, with her mother and siblings, Dolores, Arthur, and Margaret, and stepfather Lupe Macias. She began working again and took classes at Ventura College in business. Early jobs included working at Woolworths in Ventura. Shortly after, she landed a job at the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme as a clerk typist, where she worked for over twenty years, but most significantly, where she met her future husband, Airman Johnnie Hammonds Jr., who was stationed there. Soon after, they married on May 12, 1951, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Paula.The couple's first residence was Mount Laguna in San Diego. Later residences included Carpentaria and El Arco camp, until they were able to purchase a home in West Oxnard. There, they raised their four children, sending them to St Anthony's Elementary and Santa Clara High School.In 1972 they moved to Camarillo and became active members at St. Mary Magdalen parish, where they lived for almost 48 years.Our mother was very close to her faith and church, both St. Anthony's and St. Mary Magdalen. Organization included: assisting her husband in the Deacon formation program for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and as a deacon's wife serving the parishioners in Prison Ministries, the Homeless Ministries of Los Angeles, Marriage Preparation, Bereavement Ministry, and the charismatic prayer group, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary and St. Vincent De Paul.Amelia was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, sister, aunt, and all-around friend to all who knew her. She is survived by her four children Michael and wife Rosalie, Larry, Terry, husband Steve, and Robert, wife Andora, nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.She is also survived by her brothers Emilio Lujan and Arthur Macias, wife Carol, sisters Tomasa Villarreal and Dolores, husband Johnny Dominguez, Margaret, husband Victor Montana. She is preceded in death by her loving husband Johnnie Hammonds Jr., her mother Susana Macias, her Uncle Concepcion Medina and her grandmother Paula Barajas.The Hammonds family would like to thank Oakmont of Camarillo wholeheartedly for the fantastic and loving care of the med techs and caregivers, as she referred to them as her "Special Angels," as well as Nurse Jennifer and the Hospice Team.In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Catholic Charites.
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