Ed was born on July 29, 1926 to Edmund and Helen (Hornby) Hamann in Battle Creek, Iowa. Ed grew up in rural Mapleton, Iowa and married Joan Brenner on November 16, 1946. In this union he and Joan were blessed with five children. They lived in numerous towns in Iowa until moving to Lead, SD in 1987 and then Yankton, SD in 1990. In his young adult years, Ed worked for the Army Corp of Engineers and the Soil Conservation Service. He later became passionate to assist those in need as a substance abuse counselor. Ed helped many clients in the recovery process and will be gratefully remembered. He too was a friend of Bill W.

He enjoyed fishing and trying to catch "The Big One", working on home projects and spending time with his family and dog, Murphy.

Ed's memory will be cherished by his wife, Joan of Yankton; sons: Ed Jr. of Yankton, SD, Chris (Ken) Wede of Madison, SD, Jeff (Linda) of North Sioux City, SD, Becky (Rory) Hansen of Ankeny, IA and Alex (Joni) of Lead, SD; 11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren and 2 step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, and an infant brother.

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