Jeanette Hammond, 1st female mayor of Faribault, dies at 82
Faribault’s first and only female mayor to date, Jeanette Hammond, 82, died Wednesday at Allina Health Medical Center in Faribault. She served as mayor from 1993 to 1997 before ceding her office to be a city council member from 1997 to 1999.
At a 2025 Poppy Month event, Jeanette Hammond, shares a bit about how the poppies were made by the auxiliary members.
“The City of Faribault extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of former Mayor and City Council Member Jeanette Hammond following her passing,” a statement from the city reads. “We are forever grateful for her dedicated service and lasting contributions to our community, which extended well beyond her years on the Faribault Council dais.”
The men and woman who served as Faribault’s mayors for the last 36 years gathered in 2019 to celebrate the city and Heritage Days. Pictured are, from left, Bob Heine (1983-88), Dean Purdie (1989-92), Jeanette Hammond (1993-96), Chuck Ackman (1997–2008), John Jasinski (2009-16) and Mayor Kevin Voracek (2017-present).
Hammond volunteered at the Faribault’s American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 43, Faribault Heritage Days and Kiwanis Club of Faribault, according to the statement.
Jeanette Hammond was a part of the Faribault American Legion’s executive committee. The Daily News previously reported she took part in fundraising events, delivered muffins and thank you cards to first responders and apples to local teachers. She also served as poppy chair for the Legion’s Poppy Month fundraiser.
Joan Dee, left, and Jeanette Hammond visit while preparing baskets for Poppy Days in 2018.
She told the Daily News in 2008 the thing she missed the most about being mayor was getting to interact with Faribault’s citizens. In an interview for her work on the poppy drive in 2021, she told the Daily News she found it fun to get into contact with people she hadn’t spoken to in a while as part of her work.
Her burial will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 1 at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault. She will be interred at the Calvary Cemetery, Faribault.
Visitation was held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory on Monday, Aug. 31, from 4-7 p.m. and at the church Tuesday for one hour prior to services.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” the city’s statement quoted her saying during Faribault’s 150th anniversary in 2022. “I loved working with the community, working with the people … to help them get things resolved.”
Marco Rivero Luna is a reporter for the Faribault Daily News. Reach him at 815-981-5389. © Copyright 2026 Adams MultiMedia of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.