Florence (Roe) Hamel

Birth: Born around 1895 in Nebraska.  

Family Information: She came to the colony with her first husband, Ben Roe.

Mother of Robert, Warren, Walter, Frances and Lucille Roe.

Later married Alfred H. "Fred" Hamel -- sometime prior to 1930.

She was the step-mother of Margaret Hamel.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History:  

Home in Colony:  

Job in Colony: In June 1928 she was part of a group making sauer kraut which included: Mrs. Loutrel, Mrs. Wright, Turner, Mrs. Roe, McGee, Ethel Belcher and Mrs. Bennett.

Also that month she was assisting in the cannery along with Mrs. Daugherty, Mrs. Baldwin, Mrs. Shoemaker, Ruth Shoemaker and Raymond de Fausell. They were canning meat -- first it was cut up and partly cooked in the bakery oven, after which it was put into cans and finished up in the steam pressure cookers.

In April 1929 the print shop crew included Comrade Bridwell, his daughter Kathleen, Jean Enfield, Raymond, Zelma, Florence and Fred -- they made the wheels go round in the printshop, getting out all publicity for the Llano Movement that spreads to all five continents and the isles of the sea.

In April 1930 the print shop crew included Gleeser -- (editing, proofreading and making up both papers; Raymond, Jake, Mrs. Wilkerson, Fred and Florence Hamel -- all taking turns at linotype work, job presses and anything else that needed doing.

In November 1930 she and Ruth Kittle were making fondant in the candy shop.

In January 1931 Mrs. Hamel and Mrs. Powers, Lasky, Winnie Ogden, Ruth Kittle, Melvine Hullinger, Sylvia Tuber and Dad Bradshaw were rushing the candy work, making boxes, and finishing up the Christmas trade. Mrs. Hamel reported that more than $100 worth of candy had been shipped out that week.

In 1932 she was working in the candy kitchen while Madeline (Bradshaw) Van Buskirk and Winnie (Ogden) Dougherty were making pecan candy.  

Other Info: In May 1928 two visiting musicians -- W.L. Ferris and O.L. Owens of Leesville -- collaborated with the colony orchestra which consisted of: Robert Snyder, leader; George T. Pickett, Roedemeister, Ben Roe, Raymond Faussel, Joseph Gaddis, Louise Gaddis, Billy DeBoer, C.C. Mickey, Peter Borg, Max Beavers, Warren Fread, Guy Rogers, Florence Roe and Anna Besse, pianiste.

In February 1929 the colony orchestra consisted of Violins: Guy Rogers, William Bingham, Albert Wichmann, Warren Fread, Joseph Silberman, Rhea Baldwin; Flute: Clyde Mickey; Clarinets: Frank Rahn, William DeBoer, William Newman; Saxophones: Raymond DeFausell, Florence Roe, Arthur Goble; Trumpets: Louis Reodemeister, Benjamin Roe; Horn: Benjamin Couchman; Trombone: George Pickett; Tuba: Fred Hamel; Pianist: Mary Erma Wilson.

Visited her parents in 1930, but was thinking of Llano and expected to return before a great while.  

Post-Colony History: In 1934 Bernie Stevens wrote a column for the Colonist titled "Ozark Colony News". He had first visited the new site in October 1933 and was impressed with it's possibilities. Fred and Florence joined him at that location in February, 1934, along with four of the Roe children and definite organization plans were agreed upon and adopted.

The colony there was similar to Newllano, but it was decided that on the first of December every year, they would divide all available colony money, excepting necessary running expenses for the following year, between themselves. The work there was mostly agricultural after his arrival, though the sawmill had provided lumber and cash.

The Hamel family remained at the site at least through 1934, with both Florence and Fred sometimes writing a column about the Ozark colony for the "Llano Colonist" at times.  

Death:  

Sources: Llano Colonist: May 19, 1928, June 16, 1928, June 30, 1928, February 16, 1929, April 13, 1929, April 12, 1930, August 2, 1930, November 29, 1930, January 3, 1931, February 27, 1932, April 14, 1934; US Census: 1930