Bernice Ruth Ham, 90, of Mexico, formerly of Wellsville, passed away at 2:45 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 2017 at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital – Audrain in Mexico, Missouri.

Mrs. Ham was born December 13, 1926, in Shawneetown, Missouri, a daughter of Carl Daniel Howard Sr. and Ruth Esther (Moser) Howard.

On April 10, 1959 in Wellsville, Missouri at the home of Rev. Homer Arendall, she married Forrest William Ham. He preceded her in death on April 27, 1995.

Bernice was a 1944 graduate of Jackson High School in Jackson, Missouri. She continued her education graduating from St. Luke's School of Nursing in 1948. She had attended the University of Colorado Boulder in 1955. Bernice was a licensed Registered Nurse and graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Bernice had taught at St. Luke's School of Nursing – Medical and Surgical Nursing. She had also been the Director of Nursing at Gamma Road Lodge in Wellsville for several years. Bernice had also been an Audrain County Health Nurse.

She had lived in Wellsville from 1959, when she got married, until 1992, when she moved to Mexico. In 2005, she moved to Montgomery City, living there until a year ago when she moved back to Mexico to the King's Daughters Home.

Bernice was a former member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church in Wellsville and Hopewell Baptist Church in rural Wellsville, where she was very active and had taught Sunday School for many years as long as her health permitted. Most recently a member of First Baptist Church in Mexico.

Bernice was a member of Neighborhood Club in Wellsville and also Weller Rohlfing Circle at King's Daughters Home in Mexico.

She enjoyed fishing, reading, crocheting, quilting, gardening and canning. Bernice would clean and cook any wildlife the boys brought in. She made the best dove pot pie. Bernice never let anything go to waste. Not sure patching blue jeans was something Bernice liked to do, but with 4 farm boys, she did a lot of patching and re-patching of blue jeans. Bernice raised chickens for eggs and also to butcher. She also had milk cows for the milk and cream but her husband's favorite, was the homemade ice cream she made. Bernice really enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, 10 point pitch and 6 handed pinochle being her favorite.

Bernice is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, David Wayne and Virginia "Ginny" Ham, of Mexico, Richard Alan and Lucinda Ham, of Wellsville and Brian Forrest and Amy Ham, of New Bloomfield; step-son, Thomas William Ham and wife, Kathy, of Wellsville; step-daughter, Karen Faye Prevost and husband, Jeff, of Redlands, California; grandchildren and spouses, Richard Dewayne and Jana Ham, of Boonville, Joshua David and Trisha Ham, of Mexico, Tessa Marie and Anthony Barnett, of Mexico, Dayton Alan Ham, of Wellsville, Wyatt Thomas Ham and Garrett Allen Ham, of New Bloomfield; step-grandchildren and spouses, Christy and Darren Donaldson, of Mexico, Cherie and Shannon Smith, of Montgomery City, Tyler Prevost, of Santa Ana, California and Mikela and Cameron Smith, of Glendale, Arizona; great-grandchildren, Alyson Catherine Ham, of Boonville, Jase Julian Ham, of Mexico and Eli McPhearson Ham, of Reno, Nevada; step-great-grandchildren, Clay Jeffrey and Cami Donaldson, of Mexico, Drake and Cade Smith, of Montgomery City, Abby, Jude and Lily Smith, of Glendale, Arizona; sister and brother-in-law, Mary Pauline and Larry Hoxworth, of San Antonio, Texas; brother and sister-in-law, Carl Daniel "Danny" and Patricia Howard, of San Antonio, Texas; in addition to numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Forrest William Ham; grandson, Timon Wayne Ham; parents, Carl and Ruth Howard and sisters, Carol Sue Preuss and Betty Jo Roppel.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, February 13, 2017 at the Myers Funeral Home in Wellsville. Rev. Gary Harrelson officiated. Serving as organist was Eldora Lowry.

Burial was in the Wellsville Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers were Dayton Ham, Josh Ham, Richie Ham, Tony Barnett, Dennis Lehnen and Hugh Lehnen. Honorary pallbearers were Lande Lehnen, Jim Lowry, Gary Roppel, Charlie Wohlbold and Don Wohlbold.

Visitation was held from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 12, 2017 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions were suggested to the Wellsville Cemetery Association, Sunrise Memorial Gardens, Weller Rohlfing Circle or the Activities Department – Gamma Road Lodge c/o Myers Funeral Home, 203 East Bates Street, Wellsville, MO 63384.

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