I don’t have any information about this portrait of Floyd Hammel (“Uncle Jack” within the family, at least). The clothing style suggests that it was taken in the 1910s, probably on the earlier side. So Floyd would have been in his early 20s. He appears to be balding, which seems a bit unusual for that age.
My older siblings and cousins who possibly had more contact with Uncle Jack may know more of his life. (Please feel free to supply additional information in the comments.) I know almost nothing of it except what I glean from public records.
He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in February 1890, the third child and first son of John and Sarah Hammell. Within a few months of his birth the Hammells moved to Albany.
In 1910 (age 20) Floyd was living at home and working as a hotel clerk. In 1920 (30 years old) he was still single and living at home, working (I infer) for his father in construction.
I don’t know whether he was still living at home in 1930 because unfortunately John and Sarah were missed in the 1930 census. There are entries for 130 N Sherman and 123 N Sherman (across the street), but no entry for 122 N Sherman that year.
By 1935, Floyd was living in a boarding house in Portland. The 1940 census indicates that he was a clerk in a liquor store. That may have been his occupation in 1935 also.
In 1942 (age 52), Floyd married a woman named Mae who had been married before and would be married again after the marriage to him. One gets the impression this was not a good choice. I don’t know when they split up, but Mae passed away in 1953 and squeezed in another marriage before that, so it couldn’t have lasted long.
In 1954 (age 64) Floyd married Verna Server (at least that seems to have been her maiden name). Apparently she had been married before, but I don’t know the circumstances. This was a more successful relationship, and lasted until Floyd passed away in 1985, just a few days shy of his 95th birthday. Verna passed away in 1991.
As has been mentioned in numerous posts here, the name “Hammell” had been spelled a lot of different ways just by John (one “M” or two, one “L” or two, second vowel “I” or “E”) . John seems to have settled on “Hammell” for the latter part of his life. According to Aunt Verna, Floyd insisted on spelling it “Hammel.” She thought this was an innovation, but evidently wasn’t aware of the earlier history. I suspect the significance is just that it was different than how his father settled on spelling it.
I don’t know how or when Floyd got the nickname “Jack.” I just remember it being confusing to me as I was growing up, since his father also went by “Jack.” I didn’t grasp the family relationships that well anyway at the time, so I was never sure who “Jack Hammell” was. I have probably overcompensated in this blog by generally avoiding using “Jack” for either of them. I think most people in his life knew John Hammell as “Jack.” I’m less sure whether people outside the family knew Floyd as “Jack,” but possibly.
I have come across surprisingly few photos of Floyd in the archives—portraits or family photos. When I came across this one, it seemed like an opportunity to expand on his life a bit—what I know of it, anyway.