Laura Hammer (Kessner) - Class Of 1977
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ROBERTS — Laura Carlene Hammer Kessner passed away on Dec. 17, 2009, after a long, heroic battle with breast cancer.
Laura was born May 31, 1959, in Shelby, to Dorothy and Selmer Hammer. She attended grade school and high school in Sunburst, where she was involved in many sports programs, but most importantly, basketball. She went on to MontanaStateUniversity, where she played basketball for one year. She graduated with a degree in business education. In 1983, she moved to Roberts, where she took her first and only teaching job in the RobertsSchool business department. She coached girl’s basketball for a few years. Then she took over the Business Professionals of America – Roberts Chapter, and found her real niche.
She married her very best friend, Brian Kessner, in 1987 and raised two children, Cody and Kelsey.
Laura loved being a wife and mother, and treated all of Cody and Kelsey’s friends as her own.
Her most passionate hobby was working with the Roberts BPA. She took great pride in her students’ successes and took more BPA members to Nationals than any other BPA Chapter in Montana.
She retired from teaching in December 2008 after 27 years of service, only because of her illness, not because she was tired of teaching.
Laura was preceded in death by her father in 1980, and her grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
She is survived by her husband, Brian, and their children, Cody and Kelsey, all of Roberts; her mother, Dorothy, and her husband Walter Mundt of Shelby; her brother, Randy (Connie) Hammer of Las Vegas; sisters, Sandy (Ed) Grogan of Gig Harbor, Wash., and Diane (Dale) Duff of Whitefish. She is also survived by her in-laws, Helen and Kenneth Kessner of Whitehall; brother-in-law Rick (Jennifer) Kessner of Culbertson; and sister-in-law Deb (Jerry) Mahlun of Big Timber. Also many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, in the RobertsSchool. Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel in Red Lodge has assisted with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Roberts BPA, c/o Altana Credit Union, 3212 Central Ave., Billings, MT59102.
Here's to you Laura...your laughter and sense of joy with life is something I will always remember. I'm so glad I got to spend a small piece of my journey with you.
Laura always had an extraordinary sense of humor; wherever she was there was most certainly to be lots of smiles and laughter. When Laura laughed, you could not help but join in! Obviously she made a mark in Roberts as every student or professional that I met that knew Laura only had the highest regards for her. My only regret is that we did not stay in closer touch since we were just down/up the mountain from each other. Wasn't that old song..."Slow down you're moving too fast. You've got to make the morning last now..." In my last telephone conversation with Laura this late summer/fall, she basically said that - she was still teaching! (: (:
I had spoken with Laura via email in May and she told me she was doing fine - I told her how much I remember her presence in my preteen years- I saw her often as she was one of Velm's very best friends - "Hammer". God Bless you Laura.
Laura, You were one of my longest memories from Sunburst, from Kindergarden through high school. Always there with a smile and a laugh. I'm sorry we didn't keep in better contact but at least this web site made it so I could talk with you one more time before you moved on and for that I will be eternally grateful. God bless you in the next part of the journey. You definitely made your mark here.
Laura, It was a great get-together. I wish more than anything that you had been here. I miss you and love you. Your were greatly missed at the reunion by all of those you touched. Sister Diane
I was one of those people that missed you at the reunion, Laura! I have great memories playing 2 years of Refiner basketball with you but my best memories come from when you and I worked in Sunburst during the summers in college and after. I can't help but smile whenever I think of you because you brought me such laughter and fun! I cherish my "Bobsey Twin" picture. I know you are dancing in heaven, and I will see you again someday.
Mary Ann Cunningham (1976)
Here's to you Laura...your laughter and sense of joy with life is something I will always remember. I'm so glad I got to spend a small piece of my journey with you.Love,
Mary Ann C.
Stacy Monroe (Bear) (1977)
Laura always had an extraordinary sense of humor; wherever she was there was most certainly to be lots of smiles and laughter. When Laura laughed, you could not help but join in! Obviously she made a mark in Roberts as every student or professional that I met that knew Laura only had the highest regards for her.My only regret is that we did not stay in closer touch since we were just down/up the mountain from each other.
Wasn't that old song..."Slow down you're moving too fast. You've got to make the morning last now..." In my last telephone conversation with Laura this late summer/fall, she basically said that - she was still teaching! (: (:
Carol Peltier (Embree) (1983)
I had spoken with Laura via email in May and she told me she was doing fine - I told her how much I remember her presence in my preteen years- I saw her often as she was one of Velm's very best friends - "Hammer". God Bless you Laura.Barb Johannsen (1977)
Laura,You were one of my longest memories from Sunburst, from Kindergarden through high school. Always there with a smile and a laugh. I'm sorry we didn't keep in better contact but at least this web site made it so I could talk with you one more time before you moved on and for that I will be eternally grateful. God bless you in the next part of the journey. You definitely made your mark here.
Barb Johannsen
Diane Hammer (Duff) (1970)
Laura, It was a great get-together. I wish more than anything that you had been here. I miss you and love you. Your were greatly missed at the reunion by all of those you touched. Sister Diane
Theresa Kimmet (Dickey) (1979)
I was one of those people that missed you at the reunion, Laura! I have great memories playing 2 years of Refiner basketball with you but my best memories come from when you and I worked in Sunburst during the summers in college and after. I can't help but smile whenever I think of you because you brought me such laughter and fun! I cherish my "Bobsey Twin" picture. I know you are dancing in heaven, and I will see you again someday.
Tracy