Submitted by his wife
Nathan Hamro was a man who always had a kind word‚ a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. We lost Nate in a training accident on July 11‚ 2003.
Firefighting was Nate’s life. He was a salesman for a fire supply firm and was a volunteer firefighter with the Renner‚ South Dakota Fire Department. He had recently completed training in fighting forest fires. He was doing a demonstration of the use of airbags to several local volunteer fire departments when he was killed.
Life was going so well for Nate. He had recently celebrated his 50th birthday with a huge party with friends‚ family and co-workers. He had just purchased a bright‚ shiny red pickup truck (he said it was his very own fire truck!). He had just returned from vacationing in California and attending my family reunion. Nate loved his job and loved the fire department. He left this world truly at the top of his game.
Nate enjoyed fishing‚ hunting and woodworking. He was always busy with projects around the house. He built several things to assist me in running my day care from our home. He loved to cook and entertain friends with one joke after another—sometimes even repeating jokes several times during the evening and he would always laugh again at the joke.
Although Nate and I did not meet until he was 43‚ I knew that he was a very special man. He entered my life and the lives of my children‚ Jackie and Ryan and my grandson‚ Addison‚ with a passion. Life was never the same after I met Nate. We had been married for 7 years.
One of Nate’s co-workers wrote: ‘I really do miss Nate and his presence in the fire service will be sorely missed. Nate had a knack of leaving everyone he came in contact with in a better mood than he found them. I hope to take this trait and carry it forward in his honor’.
Although his life was tragically cut short‚ he lived exuberantly and fully. There is a void in everyone’s life that Nate touched.
In addition to his wife‚ Darla‚ and her family‚ Nate is survived by his mother‚ Ruth Hamro and his sister Karla and her family.
Nathan Hamro was a husband‚ son‚ brother‚ step-father‚ step-grandfather and above all else was a friend to everyone he met.
I had the honor of escorting Mr Hamro’s family at the Memorial the year after we lost him. The family was beautiful,kind and energetic .
– Steve KimpleI hope this finds them all well.
Godspeed