BIOGRAPHY

Hatch was born in Fairfield, Nebraska, USA, on 6 August 1914, to parents Benjamin F. Johnson (1883–1976) and Mona Mouser (1887–1964). She had five siblings: Ethel Christensen, Mabel Lena Hakanson (1912–1972), Dorothy Knudson (1918–1983), B. Charles Johnson (1921–2016), and Doris Arlene Tazelaar (1925–2015). After graduating from Fairfield High School, she spent several years as a Nebraska rural schoolteacher. During this time, she also attended Hastings College and the Midwest Bible School in Gordon, Nebraska. Following her teaching career, she studied at the Nebraska College of Commerce in Hastings and worked as a secretary and bookkeeper at the Fleet Foote Oil Company in the same city.

On 24 June 1941, she married Rev. Ralph V. Hatch, and they remained married for 56 years, until his passing in 1997. The couple had three children: Roger, Kenneth, and Karen Chase. They also had a son, Ralph, who died as a child in 1942. Throughout their life together, she dedicated herself to her home, family, and the churches her husband pastored in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In 1963, the family relocated to Anderson, Indiana, where she was employed as a secretary at the Church of God World Service, retiring in 1979.

Hatch had a passion for music and crafts, and she and her husband shared a love for camping and traveling, often researching family history and exploring their roots. In Anderson, Alma was a devoted member of Park Place Church of God, participating actively in the Pathways Sunday School Class, Friends of Missions Circle, and visitation ministry. She also served as a Sunday School teacher. For nearly two decades, she lived at Harter House, where she played piano for their weekly songfests. In 2023, she moved to Sanders Glen Assisted Living in Westfield.

Alma Hatch passed away in Westfield, Indiana, United States, on 6 December 2024, at the age of 110 years, 122 days. She was survived by her three children, five grandsons, and four great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Eli Logan and Fabrizio Villatoro, and validated by LongeviQuest on 14 August 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* Benjamin F Johnson – Find A Grave

* “The family of Alma Hatch invites you to a reception in honor of her 100th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 9” – The Herald Bulletin, 2 August 2014

* “What an honor to celebrate Alma’s 109th birthday with family & friends!” – Facebook, 7 August 2023

* “Alma Hatch Obituary” – Flanner Buchanan, 10 December 2024

GALLERY