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Aubrey R. Hammett,
prosecuting attorney of Randolph County and a
former probate judge of
the county, is one of the leading members of
Randolph County bar, He
is descended from pioneer families of the
county as his ancestors
came to this section when Missouri was con-
sidered the frontier, and
here they have taken a prominent part in the
civic life of the country.
Mr. Hammett is a native
son of Randolph County, born near Hunts-
ville July 24, 1873, the son
of J. D, and L. Allie (Rutherford) Hammett.
The father, also a native of
this county was born on a farm three miles
northwest of Huntsville in
1847. He was reared in Randolph County and
after completing his
elementary education studied medicine, graduating
from a medical college at
Philadelphia, Pa., and soon began his professional
career near Huntsville,
where he practiced for many years. Doctor Ham-
mett became one of the
well known and skillful physicians of the county
and stood high in the
medical fraternity of central Missouri. He also
became extensively
interested in business and commercial affairs, He
was in partnership with
Joseph Samuel in the lumber business. Later
he purchased a large block
of stock in the Hammett Bank at Huntsville
which his father, Joseph
M. Hammet had established and became assist-
ant cashier of the
institution and later he became president of the bank.
He still retains his stock in
the bank and takes an active interest in its
affairs, although he has
now given up active business 'life and lives in
Moberly, Mo.
Aubrey R. Hammett's
paternal grandfather, Joseph M. Hammett, was
a Kentuckian who became
one of the early settlers who took up govern-
ment land near Huntsville,
where he cleared 320 acres from the virgin
forest and resided there
until his death in 1883. L. Allie Rutherford
Hammett was born near
Huntsville, a daughter of W. T. Rutherford, a
pioneer from Kentucky
who located near Huntsville at an early day and
became a tobacco dealer,
owning and managing two tobacco factories
employing many negroes
in the care of the product and for many years
was prominent in this line
of business. Subsequently he became inter-
ested in coal mining and
became a large operator in this district. He
was a prominent man of
central Missouri and Randolph County and his
life was closely identified
with the growth and development of Huntsville.
He lived to he a man of
advanced age and died in 1905 in his 91st year.
Mrs. Hammett was a
graduate of Christian College, Columbia, Mo.
Dr. J. D. Hammett and his
wife became the parents of two children
Mary Belle, who married
Rev. L J. Marshail, a Christian minister,
deceased. Her husband
had charge of the Christian Church of lnde
pendence, Mo., for seven
years and also of Wabash Avenue Christian
Church in Kansas City,
Mo., erecting fine edifices in both places during his
incumbency as pastor.
Aubrey R. Hammett was
reared on his father's farm in Huntsville
and attended the local
schools. He graduated from Missouri Military
Academy at Mexico, Mo.,
as senior captain. Then entered the State
University at Columbia,
Mo., graduating with the class of 1897 with the
degree of Bachelor of
Law. The same year he opened an office at Hunts..
ville and became city
attorney in 1897. Mr. Hammett became recog-
nized as one of the leading
men of his profession and in 1904 was elected
probate judge of
Randolph County, serving in that office until 1904. In
1914 Judge Hammett
moved to Moberly and four years later, in 1918 was
elected Prosecuting
attorney of the county, an office which he has since
filled in a most able
manner.
June 11 1897, Judge
Hammett was married to Miss Oleta Wise of
Callaway County, the
daughter of James Wise, an early settler of that
county; both he and his
wife are now deceased. Four children have been
born to Judge and Mrs.
Hammett: J. W., Aubrey, Oleta and J. D. While
in college, Judge Hammet
was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity
and is also a member of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. |