Since today marks what would have been the 57th wedding anniversary of my grandparents, Della Maxine Kephart and William Robert Hammersmith. So I thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate the Hammersmith surname.
The Hammersmith surname was first found at Hammersley in Staffordshire, England. Many Hammersmiths migrated from England in the 18th Century.
The grandfather of William Robert Hammersmith, Henry L. Hammersmith, was born circa 1870 in New York. His last name was listed as Hammerschmidt on his marriage record. I haven't found a lot of information on him yet, but I do know that his wife, Fannie Clark, was also born in England. I also know that their 2 known children, Edith Lucetta and Robert Henry Hammersmith, were both born in America. Edith was born in Pennsylvania, and Robert (father of William Robert Hammersmith) was born in New Jersey, both born in the 1890's.
The portrait (above) shows my maternal grandmother, Della Maxine Kephart on the day she married my grandfather, William Hammersmith. In this photo you also see my mother, Carolyne (Kephart) Testorff Gould, and my uncle, Robert Geissinger. My grandmother, whom I called Nana, lost her first husband, Robert Samuel Geissinger, in 1959. She married William Robert Hammersmith on May 20th, 1960 in Pennsylvania.
William Robert Hammersmith wasn't my biological grandfather, but he was every bit my grandpa, whom I called Pappy (or Paps). He was a huge part of my life growing up and he was a funny, strong, loving, hard-working, and selfless man. So it seems appropriate to dedicate this Surname Saturday to him and my Nana, who would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on this day.
