Ernest ‘Ernie’ Eugene HAMILTON, Sr.

by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2024

Ernest Eugene HAMILTON was born on September 24, 1932, in Key West, Florida to William Joseph HAMILTON (1904-1932) and Florinda Marie GOMES (1909-1964).

SIBLINGS

William Joseph was born on November 10, 1926, in Boca Grande, Florida
Francis Salvador Theodore was born on February 2, 1929, in Florida.
half-brother Junius Otto was born on April 3, 1948
half-brother Paul Thomas was born on December 2, 1951, in Key West, Florida

He spent his early years growing up in the Ten Thousand Islands. His grandfather was Gene (King Gene) HAMILTON, deputy sheriff in the Everglades region.

***Ernest and brothers, Bill and Francis***

Author and Songwriter

He was the author of eight novels, including ‘Shark Point’, set in the Everglades, and a memoir called ‘Mama, I Tried’ about his experiences rising from the Florida swamps to become a respected and honored citizen in Palm Beach and Jupiter/Tequesta. In addition to his novels, Ernie wrote and published eleven short stories and a book of advice for future generations.

A prolific songwriter, Ernie frequently played guitar and sang for his family and friends. He was also well known for his sense of humor, often telling people who asked where he was born, “I was born in the cane brake and raised by an old mama lion”.

He tells this story about growing up in the Everglades:

“There was curlew to knock out of the trees and which made the best ‘chicken’ and rice. There were the turtles to turn and the eggs to find and boil. We would walk the beach with Mama and stab the sand with a long stick until we found the turtle eggs. We boys were having a lot of fun. Running, swimming and eating boiled turtle eggs. There were wild hogs to hunt and boil for the lard. There were oysters, clams and all manner of shellfish to cook or simply eat raw. There was all the fish anyone would ever want, mostly always fried in hog lard, together with grits. There were coco plums, sea grapes and a large variety of wild berries and fruit to pick and eat or jar. There were homemade biscuits, the corn dodgers (fried cornbread), johnnie cake (fried flour dough) and light bread on occasion, whenever they made it into town and there were the homegrown fruits and vegetables and all the jarred jellies and jams. There was always a pot of lima beans on the stove, starter dough in the flour barrel and always lots and lots of seafood. The stove was wood. They had a pretty good life without a lot of money.”

Ernest went on to join the Air Force, graduate from University of Florida, become a CPA (certified public accountant), and create a prosperous accounting business in Jupiter, Florida.

He married Josephine GARCIA in 1955 and they had three children: Ernest Eugene, Jr., Mona Marie, and Karen Yvonne.

Ernie was a student at University of Florida, where he had an apple cart that he sold apples to the university community. This article is from The Florida Alligator, October 28, 1962.