Donna Hamm adjusts from military life to country living
Staff writer
In her quiet yet forward demeanor, Donna Hamm talks about her life growing up being half Japanese, the military, and living in Hillsboro.
Born in Monterey, Calif., she was the youngest of four children.
"My dad was in the Army, so we traveled around a lot," Donna said.
While stationed in Japan during the Korean War, her father met and wanted to marry Donna's mother who was Japanese. According to Donna, at that time it was illegal for the two to be married. However, with so many requests from servicemen to marry Japanese women, the laws were changed.
Donna's mother and father were able to get married, and they moved to the United States.
When Donna was in the fifth grade, her father retired and moved the family to his hometown of Madison, Wis.
Donna and her siblings attended school there, and in June 1974, she graduated from Madison East High School.
Right after graduation Donna enlisted in the Air Force. During her schooling in the medical field in Texas, she met her future husband, Lonnie Hamm. Both were stationed in Texas.
They were married on March 17, 1975. Donna had orders to serve in California, and Lonnie was stationed in Texas.
"I had to wait for four months before I could join Lonnie in Wichita Falls, Texas," Donna said.
In 1976, Donna, pregnant with their first child, requested an early leave. Their first son Jason was born Nov. 28, 1976.
During that same year, the family moved to Hillsboro where Lonnie helped his father in the milk-hauling business from the creamery.
Donna was a stay-at-home mom for one year. The family soon moved south of Lehigh, living there for three or four years. She worked for a short stint at a drapery sewing business in Marion.
In 1981, while Donna was in the hospital having her second child, Jesse, Lonnie found and purchased a farm south of Hillsboro, where they live now.
After that first year of being a stay-at-home mom, Donna began looking for employment in Hillsboro. She wanted to work in a hospital, because the work of a certified nurse's aide was similar to what she had done in the Air Force.
While she was in the military, her title was medical service technician. She was able to administer shots as an aide in the military which was different than the civilian CNA's job. Her other duties included making beds and giving bed baths, etc.
With no jobs available in Hillsboro, Donna went to Newton searching for employment. She began working at Axtel Hospital as a CAN for the first three years.
"I didn't want to work weekends and holidays because of my family, so I changed to working in the office," Donna said.
She later worked in the Axtel Hospital office filing insurance claims for seven or eight years.
In August 1984, she began working at Hillsboro Family Practice Clinic filing insurance claims and doing dictation. She still works at the clinic, but now Donna only files insurance claims.
"It will soon be 20 years," Donna said. "Time sure does fly."
With the help of a former co-worker Lynn Wiebe, Donna started quilting.
"She gave me a lot of tips," she said.
Enjoying her new-found hobby, Donna took classes to learn more about quilting.
She has bowled on Monday nights off and on for about 10 years.
She also helps paint the lettering on Lonnie's and the boys' demo cars when they compete at various demolition derbies.
Growing up in a large city, Donna said she has learned to love the country.
"At first I wasn't sure about living out here, but it is so peaceful," she said. "It's like a slice of heaven."
One of the highlights of Donna's life was when she was able to take a trip with her mom and siblings to Japan in 1992 to meet her relatives for the first time.
"I really regret not learning about my Japanese heritage," she said.
The family stayed in Japan for one and half weeks. According to Donna, her nuclear family from the states were able to meet all of their Japanese relatives — with only two of them who could speak English.
"Japan is a beautiful country," she said. "I really appreciated the chance to go there. It turned out that that was my mom's last visit to her home."
Donna explained that her mother had made plans to go to Japan, but after Sept. 11 happened, relatives in Japan told her mom to cancel her trip.
"She never did get back to her home; she died in 2001," Donna said.
Another highlight that is forthcoming for both Donna and Lonnie is the birth of their first grandchild. Jason and his wife Carla of Hillsboro will become new parents in August.
"We are really excited about that," Donna said.
Summing up her life in Hillsboro, Donna said it was hard to get use to living in a small community.
"I came from a different background, and Lonnie helped me out a lot," she said.
"I tried to show our boys that everybody is the same and yet different."
"I also told them to show respect and be disciplined — I guess that's part of the military life in both Lonnie and me," she said smiling.
"God has blessed me with a husband who loves me, and boys and a daughter-in-law who respect me," she added. "I could not ask for more."
