Joseph Kelly Hammrich, the son of Joseph Louis and Helen Edna (Vollmer) Hammrich, was born May 20, 1960, in Aberdeen, South Dakota and died February 17, 2021, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 60 years, 8 months, and 27 days.
Kelly was baptized and confirmed at the Presbyterian Church in Willow Lake, South Dakota. He attended the Willow Lake Community Schools, graduating with the High School Class of 1978. Kelly then studied at Southeast Area Vocational School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he received a degree in computer programing. Kelly was employed as a computer programmer in Sioux Falls for several years then transferred to Colorado for a few years. He returned to Sioux Falls to help care for his parents and was a manager at an apartment complex until he retired.
On October 6, 2012, he was united in marriage to Lorraine Chenoweth at a chapel in Des Moines, Iowa. They moved to Hawarden, Iowa, where Kelly worked part-time at several businesses, including the t-shirt shop, the nursing home, and the golf course and then was very involved in community volunteering. In 2020, they moved to Audubon, Iowa so they would be closer to family members.
Kelly enjoyed camping, fishing, and hunting and doing anything outdoors. He enjoyed playing golf and was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan. Kelly was always ready to help anyone and everyone. To help family members, their granddaughter Jayne lived with them for several months, which Kelly immensely enjoyed.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his sister-in-law, Paula Tollefson; and his brother-in-law, Alvin Chenoweth.
Survivors include his wife, Lorri Hammrich of Audubon, Iowa; his granddaughter, Jayne Rich of Sioux City, Iowa; his brothers, Jay and wife Jeanette Hammrich of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Jim and wife Wendy Hammrich of Urbandale, Iowa; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Virgil and wife Cindy Chenoweth of Dayton, Ohio; Angela and husband Keith Feltz of Maryville, Tennessee; Elaine and husband Jim Backer of Gillette, Wyoming; Jerome Chenoweth of Denver, Colorado; and Marilyn and husband Jerry Cochrun of Spencer, Nebraska; his nieces and nephew: Aaron and wife Jenny Hammrich of Brookings, South Dakota; Megan and husband Carl Oltman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Heather and husband Mike McLean of Naperville, Illinois; Emily and husband Bob VanWeelden of Waukee, Iowa; and Lindsay and husband Matt Edwards of West Des Moines, Iowa; as well as great-nieces, great-nephews, other relatives, and friends.
An open viewing will be held Monday, February 22, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon. The family will not be present for the viewing. Funeral services will be conducted by Reverend Philip Beisswenger on Tuesday February 23, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Following the service, cremation will take place, and the cremains will be dispersed at a later date. The honorary casket bearers will be Aaron Hammrich, Megan Oltman, Heather McLean, Emily VanWeelden, and Lindsay Edwards.
