Photo above, "courtesy
of Clayton Francis Boyce."
This profile is an adaptation from
the book, Four Generations-A Family History
By Clayton Francis Boyce
James Hamilton "Ham" Boyce and Mildred Frances Harris
James Hamilton "Ham" Boyce was born on January 5, 1903. Ham met his cousin Mildred Frances Harrris for the first time. There are pictures in Clayton's mother's photo album showing them together in Prosser between 1922 and 1924, He also has pictures of Ham and Cecil together taken in 1924, showing them with an apple-picking crew in one of the many orchards in rural Prosser. Other than those pictures, we have no record of Ham and Mildred's activities between 1922 and 1929. Ham and Mildred were married in Eureka, California on December 14, 1929. They returned to Prosser on April 5, 1930.
We are not sure what he might have worked at before, but Ham was employed by Diesel Oil Sales Company for many years. Their headquarters was located on Northlake Avenue on the north end of Lake Union, not too far from what is now Gasworks Park. It was from that company that he retired. For the most part, he delivered furnace oil all over Seattle. However, in the years prior to Word War II, he would often be sent out by Diesel oil in the summers to work on various road-oiling jobs. He was the foreman on several of these jobs. On several occasions, he and Clayton's dad worked together on the same job.
Pictured at left, from left
to right: Adrian Allen Boyce, his sister, Edna Beryl Boyce, and
brother, James Hamilton (Ham) Boyce
Photo "courtesy of
Katherine (Kitty) Mildred Beryl Wade-Roberts."
Mildred was the youngest of the children of James Harris and Mary Catherine Walter. She was born in Wenatchee, Washington on February 28, 1906. In 1908, the Harris family moved to Prosser. Clayton has a number of pictures of Mildred when she was a girl, dating back to 1921. Mildred graduated from Prosser High School, probably in 1923. Clayton has a copy of her graduation picture, but it is not dated.
Ham died of cancer in Seattle on September 29, 1975 at the age of 72. Mildred died in Vancouver, Washington on June 11, 1994 at the age of 88. Ham and Mildred had two children. Maryln Boyce was born in Seattle on June 7, 1935. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1953. In July of that year, Maryln married her high school sweetheart, Ralph Brown. In August, Ralph left to serve in Korea with the United States Air Force. While Ralph was away in the service, Maryln lived at home with her parents and went to work for Seattle Trust and Savings Bank (now Key Bank). Upon Ralph's return from Korea, he was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ralph and Maryln lived in Las Vegas for two and one-half years. Their first daughter, Debra Sharyl was born there. Also, Ralph was baptized into Christ in Las Vegas in 1954.
After Ralph's discharge from the Air Force in January, 1957, they moved back to Seattle where Ralph went to work for Standard oil Company of California, now Chevron Corporation. Their daughters Kathy Christine, Susan Lynn and Kristy Ann were all born in Seattle. Maryln returned to work at Seattle Trust and Savings Bank part time, and then full time, until 1976, when Ralph was transferred to Portland, Oregon. Although Ralph worked in Portland, they made their home in Vancouver, Washington. Maryln worked for many years in Vancouver as secretary for J. T. Bristow, a personal work missionary working out of the local congregation of the church in Vancouver. Ralph retired from Chevron in Portland in August, 1992. Ralph and Maryln continue to live in Vancouver, but now travel to Desert Hot Springs in California to spend their winters.
James Hamilton Boyce, Jr. was born in Seattle on May 19, 1941. Jim grew up in Seattle. He graduated from Lincoln High School and attended Everett Junior College and the University of Washington. He also served in the United Coast Guard and U. S. Coast Guard Reserve for eight years. Jim worked for Sears Catalog Division for ten years, serving as Store Manager. Following his empoyment with Sears, Jim worked for the Robbins Company, dealing in tunneling equipment, as Contract Administrator and Project Manager. He then worked for Pacific Western Industries (Aircraft Components) as Sales Manager and Vice President of Sales. Following that situation, Jim went into business for himself as a Manufacturing Consultant. He is currently employed by Hardy Engineering and Manufacturing as Sales and Marketing Manager.
Jim was married to Maxine Wheeler Boyce for nineteen years. Jim and Maxine have three children, Lisa (Boyce) Mahitka, and twins Tim and Tony Boyce. Jim was married to Patricia Barnett Boyce for twelve years, no children from that marriage. He is presently married to Carol Lowder Boyce. Jim and Carol have been married for eleven years.
Jim and Carol live in Bonney Lake, Washington. They have between them, six children, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, with another grandchild expected in October, 2009.
Pictured at left, from left
to right: Adrian Allen Boyce, Cecil Verner Boyce, and James Hamilton
(Ham) Boyce
Photo at left, "courtesy
of Katherine (Kitty) Mildred Beryl Wade-Roberts."