Owen Holt Hammond, 86, died at his home in Idaho Falls after an extended illness. He was born in Providence, Utah, to Horace and Salina Tibbetts Hammond. He attended school in Providence, helped his father work their small farm, and also quarry and haul large construction rock in their horse drawn wagon. He attended USU in Logan while living at home, was a member of Blue Key fraternity and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He was awarded a scholarship to Harvard but was unable to attend due to family obligations. He met LaVerd Whitehead at college and they were married December 26, 1941 in the St. George, Utah, LDS Temple. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Roberts, California, then at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He served as a 1st Lieutenant on Okinawa until the end of the war. He worked at Glenn Brothers Music in Logan while attending college. Following the war, he joined an army buddy, Fred Carnes, in the music business in Idaho Falls in 1950. He loved music and played flute in the Idaho Falls Symphony. He bought the Carnes Music Co. and operated as Hammond Music and The Idaho Piano Exchange until 1985. He worked in various music stores in the area until 1999 when he joined his son-in-law at Woodland Furniture where he worked through the end of 2003. He was a member of Kiwanis Club International and served on the board of directors for the National Association of Music Merchants, the Advisory board for Kimball Piano Company, and SCORE. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in the Sunday School organization for many years.

He was survived by his wife, LaVerd, and two daughters, Patricia (Lynn) Harker and Paula (Jeff) Krantz, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Richard, and all his siblings.

Funeral services held on Monday, April 19, 2004 at Idaho Falls Woodruff 3rd Ward (2055 Coronado) with Bishop Fritz Schmutz officiating. Burial at Taylor Cemetery directed by Wood Funeral Home.