Sunday's Obituary - Orpha Mae (Perkins) Elam

My grandmother, Orpha Mae (Perkins) Elam was the daughter of George Washington and Alzada (Edwards) Perkins.  My father was her youngest child.

I remember, as a child, attending the same church in Calvert Ctiy as my grandparents.  Grandma was the Senior Ladies Sunday School Teacher.  When my Sunday School class was over, I'd run upstairs and visit her's.  There she was, sitting behind an old wooden desk with her "pocketbook" on the corner.  Her Bible would be open along with the quarterly booklet she taught from.  In her class were the best "Church Ladies" of the Calvert City United Methodist Church.  Dots of rouge on each cheek, various shades of red or pink lipstick, some of the best hats that were ever created.  Light feathery touches from hands that felt as if they were covered in parchment instead of skin.  Each lady had a different scent - old lady perfume is what I used to call it, smells that I find comfort in now.  One whiff and I'm 6 again, running up the stairs to my grandmother's lap.

The Greatest Man I Ever Knew...

William Kenneth Elam died at home July 17, 2009. He & his wife, Ardith, lived at the Cloister at St. Henry for over 20 years.

He was born Oct. 9, 1921, the son of William Birdle and Orpha Perkins Elam, and grew up in Vienna, IL.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 where he learned to fly & do aerial acrobatics which he loved. His career was in airplane engine mechanics & served on Guam.

In 1946 he married the "prettiest girl from Iowa", Ardith Howland, who he met at the USO in Amarillo, TX, where he was stationed and she worked for TWA.

In 1949 he enlisted in the Army and served in Korea with the 40th Infantry Transportation Platoon and was quickly advanced to the rank of Master Sergeant.

After Korea, they moved to Calvert City, KY where he worked at Pennsalt Chemical (Arkema) until retirement.

In 1984 they moved to Nashville to be near their daughters.

His great joys were golf, camping, and doing odd jobs for everyone he knew!

He is survived by his sister, daughters and grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Dorothea Elam Passmore.

Memorial donations are welcome to "The First Tee", a character-building golf program for young people.

Rest in peace, Daddy.  We love you.