Larry "Jake" Hamm

Mr. Larry W. "Jake" Hamm said goodbye to his earthly life on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. 

As a child he earned the nickname, Jake. As it was told, he called himself that after his friends turned him over in a puddle while pulling him in a wagon. Why he got up and said "I be darn Jake" we will never know because he didn't know himself. Growing up in Flatwoods provided him access to all his hobbies. He loved swimming, fishing, deer hunting and coon hunting. The community of Flatwoods is small but fierce and he never wavered from home.

When his kids were younger, he entertained the family by riding 4-wheelers, motorcycles and floating the Buffalo River. He was probably best known for driving the Flatwoods school bus. He also drove the high school basketball bus for many years and was a big supporter of Perry County Basketball, everyone knew when he attended because they could hear him! His children would also tell you he was also vocal after the ballgames about his thoughts. He pushed them to be better. As some know he was very competitive. While deer hunting with Bart one day, Bart thought he had him when he came out of the woods with a 10-point buck. Bart said that Larry was sitting in the truck with a big grin on his face and then Bart saw the deer antlers in the back of the truck...Larry got him a 12-point buck that day.

Larry believed in attendance-showing up was important. To the annoyance of his children, they were always the first at practice or games and attendance at school was a must. However, Tracy thinks her parents became a bit more lenient with her younger siblings. Regardless, the lesson was learned and arriving late was not an option.

He had Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1983. After selling everything they had including all his well-drilling equipment, Larry and his family moved in with his mother in order for his children to be cared for. Larry probably didn't view this living arrangement something he aspired to do for long. He loved his mother but moving in with her along with his wife and children while taking harsh chemo treatments was not an ideal situation. We are pretty sure he had some few choice words during that difficult time.

As with many times in his life, after he beat the Hodgkin's disease, he again started a new project or adventure. If you were a friend of Larry, then you know that this was what he did...he always was looking for something new or something different.. the next thing.....

His next adventure after building his family a home and moving out of his mother's house was the pool business. His kids loved this idea because their home was the first project of a round above ground pool. It didn't take long for the kids (both his kids and others) to rot out the floor in the house.

Larry said goodbye to his sister, Joyce Hankins and his brother Delton Hamm in recent years and months. He was the baby of the family. His parents Ezra and Sue Grinder Hamm apparently spoiled him a little bit.

He believed in a good recliner or a good couch to lay on as long as he could see the TV clearly, if he couldn't see it, then someone, other than him, was going to move! As a young adult, he enjoyed taxidermy. His kids didn't ever think too much of deer skins being in the freezer to much later in life.

It has been stated that Larry had opinions and sometimes he was right and sometimes it resulted in his stating "Garth Brooks would be a one-hit wonder". Oh my, how he missed that one!

And, finally his favorite hobby other than hunting (deer or raccoons) was fishing, trot line fishing was his favorite. He enjoyed the fishing and he enjoyed the eating too! He loved to have cookouts and loved attending them!

In his last days, he enjoyed torturing his children with Gunsmoke, Andy Griffith and Bonanza. They offered to purchase him a computer for more options and he laughed and said he wasn't willing to learn!

He liked to brag about having 57 first cousins and then would say "do you know anyone that has that many first cousins?" He loved being different, even if he never stated that. He loved to socialize. If he liked you, you knew it and if he didn't -will you knew that too!

So, we have no idea how many first cousins he left behind, but we do know he left many friends and family that enjoyed time and conversations with him.

Survivors include his children Tracy (Brandon) Allen of Spring Hill, Tn, Gina (James) Duncan of Linden and Bart (Anna Moyers) Hamm of Linden, grandchildren Talon and Izzy Duncan. He was excited to meet his new granddaughter-Everleigh that should be arriving any day now.

Larry was a competitive person that could creatively cuss and make you feel as big or small as he intended. He loved Perry County. He was also good at giving everyone he knew a nickname; we assume because he gave himself his own!

Since Larry didn't want a funeral; he got this obituary!!!! 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.