She was the daughter of Theophilus Gaines (1842-1935) and Mary Margaret White (1850-1926) Hammond.

Her siblings: Bessie Belle Hammond Day (1866-1909); Minnie May Hammon (1867-1884); Thomas Clarence Hammond (1869-1958); Charles Augustus Hammond (1872-1925); James Alfred Wedan Hammon (1875-1896); George Kennedy Hammond (1877-1959); Carrie 'Grace' Hammond Ross (1881-1952); Alice Hazel Hammond Wright (1883-1964); Clint Harry Hammond (1885-1969) and Mark Evert Hammond (1888-1968).

She first married George H Nagel (1887-1965) on Tuesday, August 9, 1910 (application dated same) in Urbana, Champaign Co, Illinois.

Columbus Newspaper article - week of August 15, 1910:

The marriage of George H Nagel and Jessie Margaret Hammond of this city took place at Urbana, Illinois one day last week, about Tuesday.
This is a genuine,old fashioned surprise. The groom is a well known young man. He has worked his way up from a carrier at the Cummings book store until now he is one of the chief trusted clerks. He owns a motorcycle and has broken some local records on the noisy vehicle of locomotion.
The bride is a young woman of beauty and for a long time presided with courteous grace and dainty air at the cigar case in the lobby of the Hotel St Denis. She formerly lived with a sister, the latter recently moving away from town which left the young woman practically homeless, and that no doubt a contributing factor in pushing the wedding along.
The couple have been going together for a long time and it was naturally supposed by their friends that sooner or later they would set up together under their own vine and fig tree, but no one thought they would quietly drop out of sight and spring a surprise such as this.
Miss Hammond resigned her place at the St Denis several days ago, giving out the statement that she was going away. She did and so did George. He asked for vacation and last week disappeared for the purpose of enjoying himself by some meandering stream or in some sylvan wood. Instead he met Miss Hammond at Champaign, Illinois and together they journeyed to Urbana, which is the twin of Champaign, and they secured the necessary license.
He gave his age as 23 and his residence here, while Miss Hammond claimed she lived at Urbana and told the clerk she was 20 years old. They spent their honeymoon at Urbana and Champaign and when his vacation was up George motorcycled home as though nothing had happened out of the ordinary. He never said a word nor did his looks indicate that he had taken such a serious step.

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Indianapolis (Indiana) Star - Friday, January 5, 1912:

"People here said that a girl couldn't ride a motorcycle, so I decided to show them. The boys started me on the machine and I rode eighteen miles around the country before I came back."

This is the attitude of Jessie Hammond Nagel of Columbus, Ind. She is one of the first girl motorcycle riders in the state and besides building records in that section of the country for trips to nearby towns. She can ford streams, climb hills, cut through newly graveled roads and lead the other motorcyclists of her city a merry pace.

But the motorcycle has played an even more important part in her life. Four years ago she took her first ride on the mototcycle of George H Nagel, a young business man of Columbus. She liked it and he liked her company. Accordingly every Sunday afternoon and during summer vacations the two were seen riding together in the city, in the country and nearby towns. The rides became more frequent and the people of Coumbus began to realize that a pretty motorcycle courtship was in full swing. And their belief was well founded.

After two years of wooing on his motorcycle George Nagel won the heart of his fellow rider and last spring they were married. (Per call to Urbana, Illinois Free Public Library: application dated Tuesday, August 9, 1910)

"I knew that if any girl could ride a motorcycle I could," said Mrs Nagel. "And I don't see why girls shouldn't ride motorcycles the same as men," she added. "I don't believe that a girl should stay indoors all the time. She should be permitted to enjoy the outdoors as well as men. And there isn't anything as fascinating as a motorcycle ride. It's just the thing for all girls. I believe they would be healthier and happier if they would take a spin into the country and enjoy the good out-of-doors life for a few hours each day."

And the girl who lost her heart to the motorcycle and the young motorcyclist believes in practicing what she preaches. After her marriage she decided she ought to have a machine of her own and now both she and her husband can be seen riding their motorcycles in the southern part of Indiana.

She is a thorough enthusiast and is known by every one in the country around Columbus. She has special riding togs, consisting of a dainty hood and goggles, a heavy white sweater, divided skirt and leggings.

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George and Jessie had no children. They divorced. He owned a bookstore in Columbus.

She second married Benjamin Herbert Gaither (1888-1958) - on April 1, 1915 in Clark Co, Indiana. They had no children.

In 1920 Ben and Jessie are on the Vermillion Co, Indiana census. In the household is a Gertrude Gaither age 19 - niece.

Jessie died at age 76 years 11 months 8 days.

Top picture taken July 1915. Bottom picture taken 1911.