Bertha Mae Ham

Bertha was born on January 31, 1924, in Arden, Texas to Albert and May Vinson. She was the seventh of eight children and served as the glue to hold her family together in spite of their wide range of differences. Family reunions and fish fries were always the most anticipated events each year. She is now enjoying the most glorious family reunion ever imagined.

Always a child of the country, she considered her children greatly impoverished due to their failure to experience scampering down to Spring Creek on a hot summer day to take a dip, riding your favorite horse to a country school, gathering eggs on a cool morning and picking cotton by hand with your big brother as boss man.

Mother grew up a child of the Greatest Generation. Shortly after graduating from Rankin High School, she followed her brothers to war by traveling to California and helping with the assembling of B-24’s at the Continental Aircraft Company plant.

Beautiful to the very end, Mother had style and grace, which distinguished her whenever she walked into a room. She loved to dance, winning a jitterbug competition in her earlier years.

Bertha’s first husband, Howard, also had one foot in the country and the other in the city. Together, they persevered through the hard times, which included the care of Howard following a serious horse fall injury, and the good times of traveling and companionship with close friends. Mother became an accomplished and prolific painter, whose paintings grace the walls of many family members’ homes. At the same time, she rounded up cattle at their Reagan County ranch and cooked deer meat brought home from a hunt.

An avid shopper and renowned cook, Christmastime at Grandmother’s created rich, indelible memories. Mother’s recipes are still family favorites.

Following the loss of Howard to cancer in 1988, Bertha married RC Ham. RC was a wonderful person who helped to enlarge Mother’s capacity to enjoy life to the fullest. RC’s family became her own.

Following the loss of RC in 2006, Bertha moved from Odessa to San Angelo. In 2019, she married Howard Ellig, a friend from Odessa that she had known since 1958. Through Howard, Mother experienced the most beautiful and selfless love imaginable. Howard cared for Mother as long as his health permitted, and he never left her side.

It is said that the blessings in life are measured by the friends that you have. Mother was blessed beyond measure. Her long, rich life was diminished only by the loss of so many dear, dear friends.

Bertha was preceded in death by her seven siblings, James Vinson, Verna Speck, Dwain Vinson, Martha McDonald, Finus Vinson, Morty Vinson and Robert Vinson, her first husband, Howard Millican and her second husband, RC Ham.

Bertha is survived by her husband, Howard Ellig, her children, Beverly Hicks and Paul Millican (wife, Jo) and grandchildren, Jeremy Scott (Angela), Maleigh Canon (Steve), Jennifer White (Jason), Joy Miletic (Zvonimir), Jessica Coats (David), Jill Heintschel (Bryan). She is also survived by 17 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren, with another one due any day now.

Honorary Pallbearers are Jeremy Scott, Jason White, Steve Canon, Keslee Canon, Hudson White, Jonah White, and Andrew Miletic. A visitation will be held at Johnson Funeral Home from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8th. A graveside service will be held at Paint Creek Cemetery, Coke County, Texas at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday November 9th, which will be followed by a lunch celebration at Pecan Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bertha’s memory to a church or charity of your choice.