Juanita K. Hammons dies at 96

Juanita K. Hammons, a patron of the arts and wife of hotel developer John Q. Hammons for more than 60 years, died yesterday at the age of 96 at The Manor at Elfindale in Springfield.

Juanita Kathleen Hammons, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, resided at The Manor nursing home since 2008, according to a news release from John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.

John Q. Hammons, who died last May, married Juanita on Sept. 2, 1949, at the Westminster Presbyterian Church after meeting at a dance and dating for two years, according to the release. She was born in Marionville on June 16, 1917. The couple had no children, and Sheri Smith, president of Dallas-based public relations firm Publicis PR, which issued the release, did not respond to questions about a personal trust by deadline.

Her husband's personal estate is at the center of an ongoing probate case that has garnered nearly $370 million in claims from creditors. According to online records, no case involving an estate in Juanita Hammons' name had been filed in probate court as of noon April 30.

In the book, “They Call Him John Q.: A Hotel Legend,” Hammons described his wife as a “first-class lady” and stated, “She’s a very stunning and gracious lady, who never met a stranger.”

Juanita Hammons received a teaching degree from Southwest Missouri State Teacher’s College – now Missouri State University – and taught school in Marionville, as well as second grade at McDaniel School in Springfield.

Before moving into Elfindale, she was known as an active participant in the Springfield community, sharing the hotelier’s desire to support the arts, sports, education and health care, according to the release. She is known widely in Springfield as the namesake for the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on the MSU campus. Hammons is known to have donated roughly $50 million to the school, which included a donation for naming rights of the performing arts center.

“Mrs. Hammons is the epitome of social grace fueled by a desire to make a difference,” said Jacquie Dowdy, CEO of John Q. Hammons Industries, in the release. “Her positive influence on Springfield and the surrounding communities can be felt every day.”

Juanita Hammons was preceded in death by her husband and her parents, James Harley Baxter and Lillian Eckhart Baxter. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, the release states.

Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield was retained to handle funeral services for Hammons. Graveside services are scheduled 10 a.m. May 2 at Dice Cemetery in Fairview, where her husband is buried. No visitation is scheduled, according to Hammons' obituary. Donations in lieu of gifts can be made to Springfield Regional Arts Council, Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts or to a charity of one's choice.