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Feb. 26, 1920 — Sept. 16, 2003 Jesse H. “Bud” Hamilton of Longmont died at home with his family by his side on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2003. He was 83 years old. Prior to his death, he had been receiving Home Hospice Care for approximately three months for his worsening lung disease. Bud was born Feb. 26, 1920, in Memphis, Tenn. During the days of the depression, he moved with his family to Earle, Ark. His father, Herb Hamilton, opened a grocery store where he provided food to the sharecroppers in the area. His family lost everything, so his family moved to his mother, Lois Whitten Hamilton’s family home in Jackson, Mo. His mother and dad opened a “picture show”/movie theater to support the family. This venture also failed and they then packed up all their household possessions in a railroad boxcar and drove to California looking for work. After a brief stay there, the family moved to Colorado. They initially settled in Littleton, where they bought a drug and sundries store. When Bud was in the ninth grade, the family then moved to Longmont, which would become Bud’s permanent home Bud’s father, Herb, opened a grocery store in 1937. This grocery store was the first in Longmont to provide primarily grocery items and to have its own adjacent parking lot. This venture, called “Hamilton’s Market,” proved very successful. Bud’s — Buddy to his friends — high school years were good ones. He was popular and was elected president of both his junior and senior year class. He was on the first team in football. The basketball team he played on won the state championship in 1937. After graduation from high school in 1939, he helped his father by working in the grocery store for a year. World War II had broken out at this time. Bud enlisted in the Marines on Dec. 5, 1941, two days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was dispatched to boot camp in San Diego. During his first leave, he went to San Francisco where he met Helen Ericson, his future wife. Their initial time together was brief, as Bud was shipped overseas in August 1942. Bud was a private, first class in H Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Corps Division. Bud was popular with his fellow Marines and was nicknamed “Hammy.” Throughout his active duty, his primary responsibility was carrying and firing a 50-pound, water-cooled gun. He was active in the first invasion of Guadalcanal. He was in the first invasion at Raboul, Cape Glouster, New Britain, on Christmas Day 1942. This was a significant battle as it was the site for the primary aircraft holdings for the Japanese, and this battle cut off their retreat. On Sept. 15, 1944, Bud was a member of the Marine division, which landed on the island of Pelelieu. Of all the Pacific invasions, this battle resulted in the worst casualties for the length of time of the battle. After four days of fighting, there were so many dead (80 percent) that those who remained could no longer be considered a division. Bud was wounded on the third day, and for his injuries he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. At the end of the war, Bud and Helen were married on March 9, 1945, in Berkeley, Calif. They moved back to Longmont where Bud managed Hamilton’s Market. This store was a well-known business in Longmont until 1963. Large chain grocery stores were entering the area, and a small grocery store could no longer thrive in this market. Hamilton’s Market was closed, and Bud began a new career in his 40s by studying to become a realtor. He worked hard and was successful in selling homes. He became a broker in 1965. As well as selling family homes, he worked with contractors to develop and build homes and commercial properties. He was named Outstanding Realtor of the Year in 1972. He was very active with the Longmont Board of Realtors, acting as a general director, secretary and vice president. He was elected president of the board in 1969. As Bud and Helen’s three children became older, they began realizing a life-long dream of international travel. They visited Africa on three separate occasions, the Orient, Europe, Russia and the Scandinavian countries. Bud and Helen retired in the early 1980s and spent their retirement years gardening, traveling across the United States and indulging their enjoyment of sports by becoming ardent fans of the Rockies and the Broncos. When Bud was out and about in Longmont, he frequently encountered someone who knew him from Hamilton’s Market or his work in real estate. Each person would then remind Bud of some experience they had in common. They always recalled his kindness to them and examples of how he went out of his way to help them. They also commented on his special touch of humor and optimism in his interactions with others. Bud was respected and admired by everyone who knew him. At the time of his death, he expressed no regrets with the life he had led as he had worked to make it rich and rewarding. He was a special person who touched the lives of many and earned the love of his family and friends. He will be greatly missed. Bud is survived by his loving wife, Helen; two daughters, Susan Hamilton and her husband Jim Setterlund, and Patty Hamilton; and one son, Jeff Hamilton and his wife, Kathy, and their two children, Merissa and Eric. Visitation will be held at Howe Mortuary Chapel, Longmont, on Thursday, Sep. 25, 2003, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the family present from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held Friday, Sept. 26, 2003, at 10 a.m. at Howe Mortuary Chapel with interment immediately following at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery. Bud and Helen have always had a special place in their hearts for animals. Throughout the years, they have provided support to a variety of agencies that address the care and needs of animals. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions in Bud’s name be made to The Longmont Humane Society, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont 80501. Publish date: 11/3/2008 Sept. 15, 1920 — Nov. 1, 2008
Helen Marion Helen was born in Turlock, California. Her parents, Gust and Nellie (Johnson) Ericson were first generation immigrants from Sweden. After high school, Helen graduated from Modesto Junior College and Armstrong College in Berkeley, CA. She then joined the civil service as a secretary in San Francisco. In 1942, she met Jesse H. “Bud” Hamilton, a PFC in the U.S. Marine Corps who would become her future husband. After Bud joined the Battle of the Pacific in WWII, Helen enlisted in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in March 1943. She continued to work in the San Francisco area until Bud returned home after being wounded in combat. They were married on March 9, 1945 in Berkeley, California. Following their discharge from the Marine Corps, they moved to Longmont, CO to manage a grocery store with Bud’s father-- Hamilton’s Market. Helen worked at home raising their three children. In 1962, Helen returned to the civil service as an administrative assistant with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Center in Longmont. After retirement, Helen and Bud traveled to locations all over the world. At home, Helen indulged her passion for quilting by collecting fabrics and creating new projects. Always an avid reader, Helen often had two books “going” at the same time. Her rose garden was her pride and joy. Helen loved all types of animals. She fed the wild birds and squirrels that visited her home. She contributed to the local humane society, CSU’s veterinary school for animal research, as well as to other animal protection agencies throughout the state and worldwide. Helen is survived by two daughters, Susan Hamilton and her husband Jim Setterlund, and Patty Hamilton; her son, Jeffrey Hamilton and his wife, Kathy, and their two children, Merissa and Eric. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bud, on September 16, 2003, and also by her parents. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2008, at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions in Helen’s name be made to the Longmont Humane Society, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501. Please share thoughts, memories and condolences with the family at www.howemortuary.com.
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Longmont High Trojans Longmont Colorado Class of 1965 Copyright © 1999 All rights reserved. |
HAMILTON
died Saturday, November 1st at Longmont United Hospital from a
debilitating respiratory infection. She was 88 years old. She had been
living in her own home prior to her illness.