Florence E. Hoham

The only woman in Plymouth to have ever had a road named for her, Florence Elizabeth Hoham, has died. Florence died at 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14, 2004, in the Catherine Kasper Life Center, Donaldson. Born in Plymouth, Ind., on February 22, 1905, Florence would have been 100 years old this next year.

Her family, her church, the First United Methodist Church of Plymouth and her community service were Florence’s recreation and her lifelong interests.

She was the daughter of Jesse Mead and Flora Vestaline Astley Hoham. She attended Webster School and graduated from Plymouth High School with the class of 1922. She took business and accounting classes at Ancilla College and IUSB and at the age of 17 became an office worker at Schlosser Dairy for almost two years.

In 1923, as an abstractor, she went to work for a local attorney, Delph McKesson and then joined the firm of the Marshall County Building & Loan of which Mr. McKesson was president. The company later became Pioneer Federal Savings & Loan Association.

Florence was widely acknowledged as “the backbone” of the business.

She retired in 1988 at the age of 83.

Florence lived at 724 Pennsylvania Ave., the home where she was born, until November, 2001, when she went to live with her niece, Mrs. Lowell ( Virginia) Brown.

Named as one of the prestigious Sagamores of the Wabash by former Gov. Evan Bayh in 1996, Florence received many awards during her lifetime.

In 1963 she was selected as the 9th member of the Plymouth High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

In 1975 she was elected president of the Michiana Chapter of the Financial Managers Society for Savings Institutions.

A charter member of the Plymouth Chapter of the Business and Professional Women, she served two terms as president of the group. She attended numerous district, state and national conventions and seven times participated in the international BPW conferences. The Indiana Federation of the BPW presented Florence with the prestigious Jenny Scott Award in 1990.

Florence joined Kappa, Kappa, Kappa philanthropic sorority in 1944 and served as president one term and treasurer, twice. She was president of the Friends of Ancilla College and served on the Ancilla Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1986. A member of the Ambassador Club, she received the Ancilla Award in 1987.

An active member of the local Democrat party, Florence enthusiastically supported all of the Democrat candidates; her car was recognized as a traveling billboard. She served as precinct committeeman for nearly 50 years and was a delegate to the national Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention.

She was president of the Holy Cross Parkview Hospital Auxiliary for many years, donating countless hours as a volunteer.

One of the first supporters of the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation, she was a member of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

Florence is survived by three nieces: Virginia Brown, Jean Marks Bail, Frances Myers and one nephew, Harold Marks. A number of great-nieces and great-nephews survive as well.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters: Martha Goss and Louise Marks.

Friends will be welcome to celebrate the life of Florence Hoham on Friday, December 17, 2004, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth.

Funeral services, officiated by the Rev. Dr. Dean Fager, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, will be held in the funeral home at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 18, 2004.

Burial will take place in Oakhill Cemetery, Plymouth.

Memorial gifts in Florence’s memory may be made to Ancilla College or Marshall County Hospice.