Bud was born on May 29, 1935, at home in a rural area outside Philomath, Oregon, to parents Hal T. Hamm and Lorene Bernice Edwards Hamm, and passed away on June 16, 2022, at Willamette Springs.
Both of his parents were descended from pioneers, including Joseph Edwards, who came West via wagon train in 1853. His father was born at Peak, Oregon, a small settlement established by his great-grandparents on the slopes of Marys Peak and where his great-grandmother served as postmaster.
As a boy, Bud’s backyard was the Peak country, as he called it. He and some of his numerous cousins would hike, ride horseback, and camp out for days at a time on Marys Peak, and he knew every road and trail.
He was a veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War from November 10, 1954, to December 3, 1958, attaining a rank of Ship’s Serviceman 3. Although he did not serve in combat in Korea, he had many experiences with severe typhoons and rescuing islanders afterward. He also participated in rescue operations during the Chinese bombardment of American ships in the Formosa Strait in September, 1958.
After his discharge from the Navy, he worked one winter season in an Alaska logging camp, an experience that drove him back to Western Oregon and its milder climate. He worked until retirement as a timber cutter, falling, bucking, and singlejacking in the Coast Range and the Cascades.
He was an avid hunter, helping to put meat on the table as a boy, then later to enjoy one of his favorite foods: venison. He loved maintaining his property on Old Peak Road, and reading was his bad weather activity, especially adventure stories and historical works, one of his favorites being Theodore Roosevelt’s “The River of Doubt”. He enjoyed road trips, usually to Alaska, but in the U.S. including one three week adventure to Pensacola, Florida, and back. Bud also worked with relatives to maintain and protect Davidson Cemetery near the former settlement of Peak.
Bud was preceded in death by his parents and by sisters Karen Carter and DeLores Brown. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Joan Shaw Hamm, by his children: Kelly Pointer, Jaema Brenneman (Kenneth), Serena McDonald (Tom) and Hal Travis Hamm (Tracey); seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and by sisters Marjorie Haffner and Loretta Gilbert.
A graveside service will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 1, at the Joseph Edwards Pioneer Cemetery at Pedee, and a gathering afterward will be announced at that time. A visitation will precede the service at 11:45 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be considered to any local wildlife or natural area. An outsized tip for waitstaff at any restaurant would also be in the spirit of Bud’s generous nature.