NAME: BENJAMIN F. BONHAM, AGE 70, A LONGTIME TUSHKA AREA RESIDENT. BORN: NOVEMBER 20, 1936 AT HARMONY, ATOKA COUNTY, OK TO ORVILLE CARL AND NOVELLA SUSAN ( BURLESON)   BONHAM. PASSED AWAY: MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2007 AT THE OKLAHOMA HEART HOSPITAL IN OKLAHOMA CITY. AGE: 70 YEARS 3 MONTHS 29 DAYS EDUCATION: BEN ATTENDED HARMONY SCHOOL IN ATOKA COUNTY. MARRIED: NORMA LEE BOMSBURGER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1955 IN COALGATE, OK. OCCUPATION: BEN WAS AN AUTO MECHANIC ALL OF HIS LIFE WORKING FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY CAR DEALERSHIP IN ATOKA, HE WORKED FOR LONNIE SELBY CONSTRUCTION, ATOKA COUNTY DIST. # 3 AND, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS , OWNED AND OPERATED BONHAM'S GARAGE IN TUSHKA . CHURCH AFFILIATION: BEN WAS LEAD TO THE LORD BY HIS SON-IN-LAW BOBBY AND WAS BAPTIZED AT THE BOGGY DEPOT BAPTIST CHURCH. BEN WAS A VERY GIFTED, SELF-TAUGHT MUSICIAN. HE PLAYED GUITAR AND BANJO AS WELL AS SANG LEAD AND HARMONY IN HIS BAND BILL GRANT, DELIA BELL AND THE KIAMICHI MOUNTIAN BOYS, THE MCGEE BLUEGRASS BAND, AND THE BOGGY RIVER BLUEGRASS BAND. BEN ALSO LOVED TO FISH AND HUNT. SURVIVED BY CHILDREN: CAROL MARTIN AND HUSBAND DANNY OF DURANT, OK. RAMONA SMITH AND HUSBAND BOBBY OF TUSHKA, OK. SISTER: WANDA BONHAM OF HARMONY, OK. GRANDCHILDREN: SHANNON WHITWORTH AND HUSBAND JEFF OF HOUSTON, TX. EDANA ROBINSON OF EDMOND, OK. KACEE ROBINSON OF DURANT, OK. ROBERT SMITH AND WIFE TINA OF TUSHKA, OK. DANNY SMITH OF TUSHKA, OK. SHERI SMITH OF DURANT, OK. GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: ALEXIA WHITWORTH. SHAINA AND ALAINA SMITH. PRECEDED IN DEATH BY PARENTS: ORVILLE AND NOVELLA BONHAM. WIFE: NORMA BONHAM IN OCTOBER, 1998. GREAT GRANDSON: JAYDEN SMITH BROTHERS: ORVILLE, CHESTER, AND OLIE BONHAM. HALF BROTHERS AND SISTERS: ZED, HETTIE, MINNIE, NELLIE, JAMES, CARL, AND COLLIE.

DATE OF SERVICES: SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 AT 2:00 P.M. PLACE OF SERVICES: BROWN'S FUNERAL CHAPEL ~ ATOKA, OK. INTERMENT: TUSHKA CEMETERY ~ TUSHKA, OK. OFFICIATING: REV. GARLAND BLOCKER ASSISTING: REV. DON BONHAM CASKETBEARERS: JAMES SUMMERS, DOUGLAS WOODS, MARK PHILLIPS, LOUIE NICHOLS, DON RIDELL, LEON JENNINGS. HONORARY CASKETBEARERS: EDDIE BROWN, JOE WILSON, PAUL MORGAN, MARVIN PHILLIPS, DOLAN WILLIS, FRED SANDERS. FAMILY NIGHT: FRIDAY 6 - 8 PM