Elda Hamit, 100 years young

It's not very often a community can boast of a centenarian living in its midst, but Stockton can do just that on May 17th...the special day when Elda Hamit reaches the 100 years young milestone!

Elda Hamit was born at home in the farmhouse of her parents, Leo and Eva Elliott, in Torrington, Wyo., on May 17th, 1923. The Elliotts lived in Wyoming for the first two and a half years of Elda’s life before they moved back to Kansas to help on the farm after her grandfather died.

Living on the quarter section of land purchased in 1903, Elda and her younger sister Maxine enjoyed growing up on the farm. Elda said Maxine was quite the tomboy while she had her dolls. And without getting into too much detail, Elda said the dolls always took precedence over whatever Maxine wanted to play.

Elda remembers attending the country school in Bow Creek Township. It was two miles south of their house, and Elda always walked to and from school. She said she was supposed to walk with their nearest neighbor’s children, Bud and Maxine Nichols, but Elda said, “They would always make me so mad with their teasing, I just decided to walk by myself every day.”

Elda went to grade school in Rooks County for six years, and then attended two more years of grade school in Phillips County.

Elda said while in grade school, she wasn’t good at any of the games and was always chosen last for team sports. “I felt I was pretty awkward, and I guess the other kids thought so too!”

Her high school years were at Logan. At that time, she planned to teach for a year to make money to attend

college to become a certified teacher. BUT, there happened to be a young farmer named Marion Hamit, who, it was said, only dated teachers. And as Elda puts it, “I was the last teacher he ever dated, and I never did make it to college.”

Elda loves to read, especially history, but during that one year of teaching, Elda said they only had an encyclopedia for reading. So, it was only natural she would do something about it. She had the boys and girls organize a box supper to raise funds for books which she ordered from the Sears and Roebuck, and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Once the books arrived, the students had to have their lessons done before they could read a book. She wanted to pass on her love of reading, saying, “If they are not reading now, it’s not because I didn’t try.”

After that teaching year, even though her dad thought she was too young to get married at 19 years of age, Elda and Marion exchanged vows on April 22nd, 1942. The two moved out to the farm, and the couple was blessed with three boys, Charles, Dick, and Don, within three years. Elda said there were a lot of adventures while the boys were growing up, plus the boys covered for one another when there was any trouble, so Elda said she wasn’t going to squeal or tell stories on them now. She did laugh and concede that her hair turned gray when all three were in high school, with her first gray hair popping up when Don was born.

A story Elda did tell about her boys involves the baking of her chocolate and angel food cakes. Charles and Don, even though they were born three years apart, their birthdays are two days apart. So she would always try to bake just one cake for them to share, but that never worked out since Charles liked chocolate cake and Don liked angel food cake, and they each wanted their own. Maybe that is why she always won blue ribbons for her baked goods entries at the Rooks County Free Fair.

And speaking of the Fair, Elda always entered her quilts in the Open Class exhibits and took home several ribbons. She has sown more quilts than she can count and made several special ones for her family members. Elda started sewing before her first son was born, sewing a layette by hand. Then Elda borrowed her mother-inlaw’s sewing machine to make her some dresses, and she never gave the machine back, probably because she wore it out!

Reflecting on her life over the past century, Elda said, “God always has a plan for everyone, even if it is messing up the plans you have.” But she doesn’t regret it one bit. Elda said her greatest accomplishment and love has been her marriage and family. Whether that was farming with her husband or leading that bucket calf around the day before the Fair with the boys, she enjoyed being a 4-H leader and holding a position on the Extension Board.

The most significant thing in Elda’s life was during World War II.

Since her husband was a farmer, he was encouraged to grow wheat and crops during the war. He was never called to serve, but he had to register for the Draft. Therefore, and every three months, he had to go before the Draft Board to see if he would be called to action. That was a trying and hard time, never knowing their future during wartime, especially since they had three young boys at home.

About her college education, Elda said even though she never attended college, she did sign up for college courses at Stockton High School. But the courses she signed up for always got canceled for some reason. Elda laughed, “If it is anybody’s fault I didn’t receive any further education, I am going to say it is Stockton’s fault.” Of course, Elda said that was before online classes were offered.

She would advise the younger generation to “Look before you leap,” but she figures that most people nowadays will do what they want, no matter the consequences.

As for her turning 100 years young, Elda said, “That’s the part of my life I can’t believe! My paternal grandmother lived to be 90, so I never thought I would still be here at 100. I guess I am going to stay as long as I am supposed to.”

Elda stated, “During my life I didn’t do what I set out to do, but I have no regrets. My advice to everyone is to work hard, marry a good man and have a good family to help you with life’s challenges along the way.”