Obituary of Dorothy Hamm

Dorothy Woolverton Hamm, 98, of Syracuse, died at Syracuse Home on Thursday, June 8, 2017. Born October 2, 1918, in Trenton, NJ, she was the third child of nine born to Norman Nelson and Euphemia (Keegan) Woolverton. She grew up in Trenton, NJ. Dorothy attended National College for Christian Workers in Kansas City, MO. In 1943, she was commissioned deaconess in the Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. She served as a deaconess at Washington Square and Hanson Place Methodist Episcopal Churches in Brooklyn, NY. After being ordained as the first woman minister in the New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, she served as Assistant Minister at Kings Highway Methodist Episcopal Church on Long Island. She was married for 49 years to Howard F. Hamm, who died in 1996. He was a native of Syracuse. In 1954 they moved to Syracuse where Dorothy served on the staff of Lafayette Avenue Methodist Church. She was a long time member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church on Valley Drive in Syracuse. Mrs. Hamm spent a number of years on the staff of Camp Adelphi Day Camp. She and her late husband were trained in the use of computers through the Senior-Net program. They volunteered in Webster Elementary School helping the students learn to use computers. Dorothy is survived by her brother, Paul Woolverton and his wife, Rita; sister-in-law Joyce Woolverton, all of Hamilton, NJ; and many nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 2200 Valley Drive, Syracuse, NY 13207. A funeral service will immediately follow at 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in Onondaga Valley Cemetery. The family wished to express their thanks to Dorothy's dear friends, Glenna and Mike Meyer, Diane Aldrich, Rev. Hal and Deanna Bruen. To express sympathy, please visit www.ballweg-lunsford.com.