Phyllis Carol Hammer, 72, Forrest and formerly of Fairbury, died at 7:15 pm Sunday, October 30, 2016 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington.

Visitation will be 9:00 to 10:45 am Saturday, November 19, 2016 at the First Baptist Church, Fairbury followed by a memorial service at 11:00 am. The family suggests memorials be given to the First Baptist Church or SELCAS, both of Fairbury. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury is in charge of arrangements.

Phyllis was born September 25, 1944 in Fairbury, IL the daughter of Harold B. and Marie Runyon Green. She married Robert Hammer on July 22, 1962 in Fairbury. He survives in Forrest.

Phyllis was a 1962 graduate of Fairbury High School. While raising her three children she worked at Fairbury Hospital as a Nurses Aid, SELCAS as an EMT, and as a Playground Aid at Westview Elementary before returning to college at Illinois State University where she graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education. She also earned a Master's Degree from Illinois State University in 1988. After college, she taught at Forrest-Strawn-Wing School District from 1978 until the consolidation. She retired from Prairie Central CUSD #8 in 2000. She then went on to teach Adult Education at Heartland Community College Pontiac Campus, from 2007-2009. She and her husband Bob owned and operated the Hammer True Value Store from 1992 to 1999. After retiring she spent many hours each week volunteering through the outreach ministries of First Baptist Church of Fairbury where she was a member. She was one of the original members of the Fairbury Firewives. Phyllis loved to travel and was able to travel to 10 different countries and to 46 states with her husband Bob and their 3 children.

Other survivors include their children, Jeanette (William) Diller, Normal, Jeffrey (Dawn) Hammer, Johnson City, TN, Jacqui (Arthur) Gardner, Fairbury Her beloved grandchildren, Benjamin (Kimberly) Diller, Chatsworth, Karissa Diller, Normal, Mindy Houberg, Fairbury, Samantha (Scott) Hartman, Pontiac, Matthew (Rebecca) Hammer, Bluff City, TN, Kelsey (Ray) Bahler, Fairbury, Stephen Gardner, Surprise, AZ, Victoria Gardner, Fairbury, Christian Gardner, Fairbury and eleven great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by one infant sister and two infant great grandchildren, Alexis White and Toby Houberg.