Last Monday, February 14, Almont lost one of its grand gentlemen when Norman Root Hamilton passed away. Norm was born May 8, 1925 in Almont to Frank Ronald Hamilton (1893-1955) and Eunice Osea Root Hamilton (1897-1977).
He has been a fixture in the political, business, social, religious, and cultural fabric of Almont since the late 1940s. He was on the Almont Fire Department for 37 years and the fire chief for fifteen of those years. He was a local electrician and later installed field drainage tiles. He was one of the founders of the Almont Archery Club. He lent his magnificent voice to the First Congregational Church choir. He was Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts for over a decade in the 1960s and 1970s. He was an irreplaceable source of information on the history and heritage of Almont.
Norm had deep roots in the community. His great-grandparents, William Bruce Hamilton Sr. and Jean Downie Hamilton came to the Almont area in 1841. Before World War I, his uncle, William, was the first Boy Scout Scoutmaster and aunt, Edith, was the first Girl Scout Scoutmaster at the same time.
Personally, he was a mentor to me as my Scoutmaster. He was the father of a classmate, who was one of my best friends. In recent years, he served as an invaluable resource about Almont’s history. I will miss him.
—James R. Wade Sr.,
Dryden
