| | Rev. Amos Troy Hatmaker 
WINTER HAVEN -- While serving as pastor of Eloise Methodist Church, the Rev. Amos Troy Hatmaker of Bartow took a job teaching small appliance repair to help support his family and ended up teaching at Traviss Vo-Tech for 23 years.
The Rev. Hatmaker of Bartow died of heart failure Saturday (Dec. 24, 2005) at his daughter's home in Winter Haven. He was 78.
He was born April 1, 1927, in Bell County, Ky. He was in the Army from 1945 to 1947, serving in Germany.
He moved to Bartow from Tennessee in 1961 and began pastoring at Eloise Methodist Church the next year, while studying at Polk Community College and operating his own company, C & H Drywall. He spent his summers earning a bachelor's degree in religious studies at Emory University in Atlanta.
Eloise Methodist Church would never be financially supportive for the Rev. Hatmaker, his daughter, Diana Fay Douglas of Winter Haven, remembered. Though he could have moved to a larger congregation, he remained at the church until his death.
"(The Methodist Conference) mentioned moving him several times," his daughter said. "He didn't care if it was financially gaining. He loved the church and the people."
In 1966, Mr. Hatmaker began teaching small appliance repair, an ability that came naturally to him, his daughter said.
Mr. Hatmaker was a member of the Masons for 45 years.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lee Hatmaker; daughters, Dianna Douglas, Winter Haven, and Suzy Hutcheson, Redmond, Ore.; son, David Hatmaker, Lynchburg, Va.; brothers, James Hatmaker, Bartow, and Burns Hatmaker, Lafollette, Tenn.; sisters, Vivian Scales, Winter Haven, Jo Ann McIntosh, Lake Alfred, Mary Ruth Bryant, Louisville, Ky., Kay Troup, Lafollette, and Oleen McCall, Winter Haven; 10 grandchildren; and 20 greatgrandchildren.
Visitation will be this evening from 5 to 7 at Oakridge Funeral Home, Auburndale. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
By Matthew Pleasant
The Ledger
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