Verna Hammond, co-founder of Hammond Lumber Company, has died, according to her family.
Hammond was not only the power behind the throne – she was its financier.
In 1953, she loaned her husband “Skip” $50 to start a sawmill – marking the beginning of what would become Hammond Lumber Company.
“While Skip was often seen in the mills and yards, Verna was the steady force behind the scenes – handling payroll, billing, and the day-to-day details that allowed the business to grow,” her family said in a statement. “Her discipline, consistency, and quiet determination helped form the foundation of our company during its earliest years.”
The Belgrade native, who died January 5, worked 58 years for the family business, retiring at age 85.
“She had a true salt-of-the-earth personality – down-to-earth, hardworking, and appreciative of life’s simple routines,” the family said. “Verna loved the outdoors and rural Maine, and especially cherished anniversary trips with Skip to Aroostook County and the Downeast region. Together, Verna and Skip built not just a business, but a life rooted in hard work, gratitude, and generosity.”
Hammond Lumber, started with Verna’s $50, is now in its fourth generation.
The family-run company came to be as well known for its catchy TV commercial as for its products. “Hammond Eggs, Hammond Cheese, Hammond Lumbah,” was its addictive tagline.
It all came to be from Verna Hammond’s $50 spousal loan.
Verna Guptill was born on the Guptill farm in Belgrade on December 4, 1926, the daughter of Rosselle Nat Guptill and Maude Susan (Yeaton) Guptill and the youngest of nine children.
The 1944 valedictorian of Belgrade High School married Clifton “Skip” Hammond of Belgrade on May 8, 1948. They raised three children, Donald, Deborah, and Mary.
