C. E. 'Ham' Hamilton

C. E. “Ham” Hamilton, 90, of Elko, Nevada, formerly of Havre, Mont., died peacefully Nov. 2, 2013, after a brief illness.

Ham was born in Havre on March 9, 1923, to William and Etta Hamilton. He graduated from Havre High School in 1941. He joined the Marine Corps and spent four years in the Pacific during World War II.  

After being honorably discharged in 1946, he returned home to Montana. He later married Eulalia Montee and raised one son, William “Bill.”

He worked for the Great Northern Railway, now BNSF, for many years before becoming a conductor for Amtrak. After his retirement from Amtrak, he split his time between Lake Five, Mont., and Elko, Nevada, with his second wife, Esther Kjorli.

Ham enjoyed his years with the railroad and loved to tell stories of his adventures on the rails. He also enjoyed fishing and was the perennial jokester.

He was a proud, lifelong member of the Masonic Lodge #55 in Havre.

He is survived by his grandchildren, Elizabeth “Libby” Hamilton and Robert Hamilton, both of Raleigh, N.C .; one great-granddaughter, Madison Taylor Hill, also of Raleigh. He is also survived by his stepson, Dean Becker of Elko, and his family; and his stepdaughter Cindy Starret of Alaska and her family.

He was preceded in death by his first wife in 1982;, his second wife in 2009; his son in 2010; and his parents.

A private family service will be held at a later time.

The family asks that memorials be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Ham’s memory, Shriners Hospital for Children-Spokane, 911 W. Fifth Avenue, Spokane, WA 99204.