Madeline M. (Burrows) Hammontree

Madeline M. (Burrows) Hammontree, 86, passed away surrounded by her loved ones Saturday, January 6, at Bay Bluffs Medical Care Facility in Harbor Springs.

To those who knew her, “Maddie” was a tender daughter, sister, mother and grandmother in her life. Even at the end, her fight with dementia never stole her huge, smiling love for other people.

She was born in March 5, 1931 in Billings, Mont. and raised in Petoskey, Mich., where she lived from a young child until graduating from Petoskey High School in 1949. She was preceded in death by her parents Clarence and Ruby Stanley, and her father Fred Burrows.

Maddie started working as a switchboard operator for the Michigan Bell Telephone Company at age 16, where she continued for more than two decades. She went on to work at North Central Michigan College for 25 years until her retirement.

To generations of college students in Petoskey, she was “Mom Hammontree” while running the communications system from her desk in the dorm on campus. Her home — where she took on the role as baker, seamstress and warm shoulder to these students — was always open. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t have done for her “kids.”

Love for family and the people in her community was always a priority to her.

Madeline married Merle Hammontree, of Petoskey, and had two daughters, Melinda (Hubbard) and Debra Hammontree. Both Merle and Debra preceded her in death in 1986.

She was a consummate grandmother to her three grandchildren. The cookie jar in her small place in Conway was never left empty. Her candy jars were kept full.

She recalled fondly her childhood adventures traveling back to Montana during her summer months to work on her grandparents’ cattle ranch around Billings — often while serving a meal with the recipes she learned from her own grandmother.

From about 1980, she likely held the unofficial world championship of car sing-alongs.“You are my Sunshine” by Willie Nelson and “Trailers for Rent” by Roger Miller were stereo staples. Those concerts usually occurred while entertaining her grandchildren en route to ice cream, school events or Traverse City for a little Christmas shopping.

Maddie was an original, and she leaves behind a blessed and grateful family.

She is preceded in death by her sister Betty Burrows-Mottor, brothers Fred Burrows, Edward Stanley and Robert Stanley, and son-in-law Lawrence Hubbard. Little Bit, her beloved black toy poodle, recently also preceded her in death.

She is survived by her daughter Melinda Hubbard of Alanson, grandchildren Lindsay Fall of Petoskey, Brandon Hubbard (Morgan Sherburne) of Dexter, and Alexandra Hubbard (Jeremy Dahlbeck) of Indian River and her brother Paul Stanley of Harbor Springs, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She is also survived by her very good friends and NCMC children Jay and Kae Hartford of Belleville, Mich.

Her family will remember and honor her life Monday, Jan. 15, at Stone Funeral Home in Petoskey. The family will receive friends beginning at 10 a.m.

A service will be conducted by Rev. David Behling starting at 11 a.m. and a luncheon will immediately follow at the Alanson Village Hall.

Memorials can be made to the Debra Hammontree Nursing Scholarship through the North Central Michigan College Foundation, 1515 Howard St., Petoskey, MI 49770 or online at www.ncmich.edu/community-events/foundation.

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