The funeral service for Carrie Lee Hammer, 76, of Mellette, SD, will be 2:00pm, Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, with Rev. Jay Rossman officiating. Burial at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Aberdeen. Carrie passed away Thursday, September 17, at her home in Mellette.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 South Main Street.

Carrie was born on April 3rd, 1950, to James and Loretta (Stevensen) Loterbauer in Webster, SD. She was raised in the country and aways shared fond memories of the horses her family had. She graduated from Bradley High School.

On January 15th, 1972, Carrie married Maurice Hammer in Aberdeen, SD. They met in Brentford, SD, at a bar dance where he was singing and playing guitar in the band . . . the rest is history. They settled on a farm and raised their three children. Carrie was a very creative and artistic soul. She opened her wedding shop, “An Affair To Remember” in 1997. She got to put her talents on full display at countless weddings for over a decade. Carrie retired to a quiet, simple life on the farm and embraced being a grandma, helping when needed. Carrie enjoyed a good book and craft.

Carrie loved her children fiercely and was very proud of each of them. That love only grew for her granddaughters. It was of great importance that her girls had cute outfits and good books. She had high hopes for all her granddaughters and celebrated all their achievements.

Grateful for having shared Carrie’s life are her three children: Cody (Jill) Hammer, Alexandria, MN, Ryan Hammer, Mellette, SD, and Lainie (Kelly) Korinek, Fergus Falls, MN; her four granddaughters: Grey, Harper, Briar, and Wren; her siblings: Marie Stebbins, James Loterbauer, and Monte Loterbauer; two brothers-in-law: Marvin (Karel) Hammer and Richard Burns; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Preceding Carrie in death are her parents, James and Loretta Loterbauer, her husband, Maurice Hammer, and her siblings: Shirley Loterbauer, Cynthia Loterbauer, and Franklin Loterbauer.