Phillip Benson Ham

Phillip Benson Ham, Sr., 91, of Smarr, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Benson Ham exemplified a life well lived.

Born January 6, 1934, Benson was the eighth child of Laura Belle Benson Ham and John Wesley Ham, Sr. of Smarr, Georgia. His mother died two years later, and Benson was raised by his devoted father, his older siblings, and the community of Smarr. Nancy Gose Ham was an ever present guardian in his life and eventually became his beloved step-mother. Benson and his siblings learned the value of hard work in his father’s country store, JW Ham General Merchandise. There, he also learned the value of community and respect for all people, no matter their race, religion, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. While roaming the by-ways with his friends and siblings, he developed a fierce independence, a curiosity that was his life-long companion, and a determination and resilience that served him well his whole life.

Benson Ham attended the little schoolhouse in Smarr and then Mary Persons High School. There, he excelled in academics, football, basketball, track, and student government. He graduated in 1953, earning a football scholarship to Auburn University. He was drawn back to Forsyth by his love for Elsie Carol Sanders, whom he married in 1955, and spent the next 38 years building a beautiful life together with their five children: Carol, Phil, Jim, Wendie, and Hollie. After her untimely death to cancer, Benson was fortunate to reunite with a high school classmate, Ruth Chapman Hassler, at a class reunion. She too had suffered the grief of loss, and they soon fell in love, married, and built a wonderful 31-year life together filled with amazing world-wide travel, adventure, and devotion to one another and their large, combined family.

Ham graduated from Mercer University with a BA in 1957. He continued on at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, earning his law degree. He began practicing law in Forsyth in 1959. He worked as a remarkable and charismatic attorney for six decades, serving his clients with integrity and devotion. He also served as President of the Flint Judicial Circuit Bar Association and on the Board of Governors of the Georgia Bar Association. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit.

In addition to serving others through his law practice, Benson Ham believed in service to the country and others through military, government, and volunteer service. He served in the United States Army, stationed in Fort Lee, Virginia. In government, he served as a State Representative to the Georgia General Assembly for a decade and served as Vice-Chair on the State Board of Elections.  He deeply believed in education as a means of advancement and served with dedication as Chairman of the Monroe County Board of Education for thirteen years, ushering the county through desegregation, a massive bond issue that allowed a new Mary Persons High School to be built, and established a precedent for higher county supplements for teachers, thus attracting and retaining top teachers. His upbringing during one of the most difficult economic times in American history instilled in him a deep sense of purpose in bringing economic opportunity to others. He served as President of the Monroe County Community Action Committee and on the Upper Ocmulgee Economic Opportunity Commission. His fierce desire to improve the lives of those in the area led to his service as Director of the Middle Georgia Area Planning and Development Commission, the Monroe County Economic Development Authority, and on the Regional Advisory Council for the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism. He wanted to better lives through increased economic security for those in our region. Through his commitment to this idea, he worked diligently to bring Plant Scherer, the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, and the EMC Training Facility to Monroe County. His lifelong service continued in 2013 with his appointment as judge to the Forsyth Municipal Court. His rural, depression-era upbringing sparked his life-long interest in rural electrification. He served as legal counsel for Central Georgia Electric Membership Cooperative and later became Board Chairman. He then served as Chairman of the Board of the Georgia Electric Cooperative, on the board of the Georgia Transmission Corporation, as President of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and as a Director of the National Telephone Finance Cooperative. He was always working to improve access and opportunities for rural Georgians. His interest in agriculture and his experience in the law and the legislature made him a perfect choice to be Legislative Director at Georgia Farm Bureau, where he invested his time to benefit Georgia’s farmers. All the while, his compassion for others showed through his varied volunteer service in civic organizations. He and his wife, Elsie, were active in the Jaycees, both locally and statewide. His incredible work ethic also benefited numerous other clubs such as the local Masonic Lodge, where he was a member for over 65 years. He was a Boy Scout leader, active in local sports and youth recreation leagues, and a part of the Monroe County Sportsmen Federation.

After the loss of their respective first spouses brought Benson and Ruth together, they turned their grief into action through service to the American Cancer Society, together serving in every local position on the Board and in a series of highly successful, award-winning Relay for Life events. He and Ruth transported patients to their oncology appointments and through that service, transformed the lives of cancer patients in our community.

Boy Scouts of America honored Benson Ham with the Golden Eagle Award for his decades long support of Troop 51 and the Central Georgia Council. Five of his grandchildren earned the rank of Eagle Scout and, always the adventurous spirit, in his late 70’s Ham accompanied them on an epic canoe trek through the Boundary Waters of Canada after driving an RV with Ruth and two of his granddaughters 1,300 miles to the launch point. The mosquitoes never feasted so well!

Ham attended both Mt. Zion UMC and New Providence Baptist Church as a child. He was baptized in the creek as a young boy and his faith became a defining feature of his life. He began attending Forsyth United Methodist Church with his wife, Elsie, and they faithfully took their five children to church every week, teaching and leading Sunday School and Bible studies. Ham served as a certified lay speaker for decades and routinely filled pulpits for pastors. He served in practically every position in the church from Lay Delegate to Annual Conference to chairman of the Administrative Council. As one United Methodist minister quipped, he served on every committee except United Methodist Women. He was appointed and faithfully served as a Trustee to the United Methodist Children’s Home in the North Georgia Conference. He believed all children should be well cared for and loved. Besides teaching and leading, he also washed dishes, cooked food, delivered food to shut-ins, worked in local and national missions work, and served in practically every area of church life except the choir, because despite giving it his best effort, he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

Closest to his heart was the farm in Smarr and his large extended family who grew up with adventures on the same land he roamed as a boy. He was proud of the partnership with his two sons in Sleepy Creek Farms, a beef cattle operation. He adored visits on the farm with his grandchildren, teaching them to shoot, fish, taking them to look for wildflowers, deer and other wildlife, and showing them how to build impressive bonfires. When each grandchild graduated from high school, he took them on a trip to celebrate. Fishing in Alaska, road trips out west, and adventures in Canada were times shared with a grandfather who was proud of each one of his grandchildren and loved them dearly.

Benson often quoted the Jaycees’s Creed: “Service to Humanity Is the Best Work of Life.” He lived his life by that creed and by his favorite Bible verses found in Matthew 25:31-46, which teaches the importance of serving others with compassion and reflecting Christ's love through acts of kindness to those in need, regardless of their circumstances." His life took him from rural Smarr, Georgia across the world, but his values of devotion to God, love of family and community, and service to others went with him every step of the way and enriched our communities and lives. We loved him dearly, and he will be deeply missed. 

He is preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, two sisters: Betty Elam and Jean Quick; four brothers: John Wesley Ham, Jimmy Ham, Julian Ham, and Bobby Ham; his granddaughter Kimmie Holland, his step-grandson, Chris Farley, his step-son, John Hassler, his great-great grandson, Luke Reece, his beautiful Elsie, and his beloved son, Jim Ham.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ruth Ham; daughters and sons-in-law: Carol and Curtis Jenkins, Wendie and Bill Britt, and Hollie and Kevin Wangerin; son and daughters-in-law, Phil and Dana Ham and Lydia Ham; stepdaughter Carolyn Farley, and his sister, Gloria Harbuck. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law and brother-in-law: LaVue Sanders and Nell and Kelly Joseph. He leaves behind a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren: Curt Jenkins and Leigh Jenkins; Ben and Hope Ham and children Jediah, Ian, Malachi, and Naomi; Wesley Ham and Kayla Mangrum and children Ferguson and Jasper; Cody Ham and Ashley Rickenbaugh and son Warner McClure; John and Anna Holland and daughters and sons-in-law: Alana and Thomas Nickles and children Avery and Mack, Katie and Kaleb Franklin and daughter Everlee, Haley and Connor Reece; Sara and Diogo Pereira and children Lidia and Lucas; Will and Gina Britt and son Billy; Joshua Wangerin, Ellie Wangerin, and Anna Wangerin; Lia Farley and children Chelsea and Bryce; and Michael, Dorian, and Dylan Hassler. He adored his 23 nieces and nephews and huge extended family.

He was also blessed by many incredible caregivers over the past several years. Janice Zellner, Ann Walton, Angela Scott, and Pearline Jones were with him to the last and cared for him and his family with amazing compassion. The family is forever grateful.

Services will be held on Friday, January 17, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Forsyth Methodist Church, 68 East Johnston Street, Forsyth, Georgia. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 16, from 5-7 p.m., in the Forsyth Methodist Church sanctuary. Monroe County Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. His grandchildren will serve as his pallbearers. Flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, Methodist Children's Home, or actions in your community to help others would be appreciated.