Willard "Clem" Hamilton

Willard “Clem” Hamilton, age 86 of Westfield/Adams, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at Meriter Hospital in Madison.  He was born on June 11, 1931 in Westfield to Thomas and Minnie (Erdman) Hamilton.

Willard was an “outdoors-man” till the end.  Nature, farm, hunting and fishing was his garden of life.  He was the happiest when he could be outside working the farm, vegetable garden and the apple orchard.  Willard took over managing the family farm at 16 with the passing of his father, Thomas; providing for his mother, Minnie and 2 younger sisters, Donna and Shirley.  He was the kind of neighbor/friend that everybody wished for.  Willard would help those in need through providing “tractor hours”, bailing hay, and butchering a pig for a pig roast or 2.

Round about his early 20s he met his wife, Joann Barron.  They went to a Westfield/Montello basketball game with Donna, who had invited Joann.  And Donna put Joann in the middle, next to Willard.  As they were courting, he would drive past the Barron farm to see Joann working outside, and knew her to be a worker.  They were married June 23, 1956.  Willard and Joann worked together to build a family home for themselves and the four children.  June 2016, they celebrated 60 years of marriage surrounded by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 2014 the farm was sold to a grandson and Willard and Joann finally retired to Senior Living in Adams.  He was happy to have the farm where he grew up stay in the Hamilton family.  Willard and Joann enjoyed walks outside and socializing with friends at the Adams Senior Community Center.  His chair was placed in front of the living room window so he could watch the birds, squirrels, turkeys and deer.

Willard was a very stubborn man, a man of strong faith, and when he made his mind up nothing would change it.

We love you Dad/Grandpa.

Survivors include his wife, Joann; four children, Sandy (Larry) Muehlenbein, Rae Ann Hamilton, Samuel Hamilton and Sally Hamilton; seven grandchildren, Mike (Carissa) Muehlenbein, Stephanie and Abigail Burns, Spencer (Tara) Hamilton, William (Britany) Emmanuelson, Rose and J.J. Stankovsky; four great grandchildren, Bradyn, Logan, Zachary and Kristina; two sisters, Donna Baumann and Shirley Boden; many other relatives and friends.  Willard was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Keith and Calvin Hamilton and his sister, Sarah Leonhardt.

A visitation for Willard will be held on Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Westfield followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Gary H. Schultz and Rev. Rodney Armon officiating.  Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Town of Westfield.

Please take a moment to view the online guestbook.  Send your condolences or share a memory of Willard with his family & friends.