The Celebration of Life for William Neal Hamm, age 96 of Enid, will be 2:00 pm, Monday, October 17, 2016 at the Covington United Methodist Church with Rev Dawn Richards officiating. Burial will be in the Covington Cemetery under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at the funeral home.
William was born August 7, 1920 in Drumright OK to Harry and Elsie Hamm. He was raised in the Covington-Garber Sinclair Oil Field and attended the Sinclair Oil Elementary School, Garber High School and Enid Business College where he met his future wife, Harriett Melvin. Following Business College, Bill went to Washington D.C. and took a job in the Pentagon with the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1942, he married Harriet Melvin and they were married for 68 years until her passing in 2010.
Bill served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a B-24 pilot. He was assigned to the 8th Air Force, 92nd Squadron, 446th Bomb Group, 2nd Air Division and stationed in Bungay, England. He flew missions in Germany and Europe for which he was awarded the Air Medal. Returning to the states following the war, he resumed working in the Pentagon before moving back to Covington Oklahoma in 1948. Bill worked at Vance AFB until 1955 when he was named Post Master of Covington. He served as Post Master for 20 years retiring in 1975 with over 30 years of government service.
An active member of Eastern Star, he served as the Worthy Grand Patron of Oklahoma and he was a 32nd Degree Mason as well as a member of the Covington American Legion and the Covington Methodist Church.
He was preceded in death by this wife, Harriett, his parents, his brother and sister-in-law and his sister and brother-in-law.
He is survived by his son Melvin Hamm, CAPT, USN (Ret) and wife Jennifer and his daughter Dreda Ryder and four grand children and 5 great grand children.
Memorials may be made to the Covington United Methodist Church with Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.
Condolences may be made and the service viewed online at www.ladusauevans.com.
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