Carma May Wheeler Hamp

Carma May Wheeler Hamp passed away on Monday, September 26, 2022 at the age 93.

Carma was born on February 4, 1929 in Lewiston, Utah, the youngest child to Lester George and Ruby May Hodges Wheeler. Carma grew up on the family’s 320-acre Lewiston farm, and they raised potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, and beets. As a young girl, Carma rode the derrick horse, drove a hay wagon, worked in the potato and beet fields, picked turkeys, and packed tomatoes. (Carma never did milk the family cows because her fingernails were too long and she wouldn’t cut them.) She had a lifelong admiration of horses and rodeos from her growing up years. Carma attended Lewiston Elementary School, Lewiston Junior High, and North Cache High School. She remained close to many classmates and friends throughout her life.

Carma met Warren Thomas Hamp at a dance at Downata Hot Springs, Idaho. Warren gave her a diamond on the way to her high school graduation, and they married a month later on June 27, 1947, at the Wheeler residence. They were sealed in the Logan Temple on April 28, 1948. 

The couple bought a house in Richmond and welcomed Patsy in May 1948. Warren was called into the service for the Korean War in 1951, and they moved to Alameda, California, and Astoria, Oregon, for his military service. They returned to Richmond, and Carma worked at Mode O’Day for five years to earn $5,000 to build a new house. Mark was born in 1957, and Dixie was born in 1959.

In 1968, the family moved to Buhl, Idaho. Carma worked at Green Giant, Sears, and Farmers National Bank. Carma’s favorite things were working with numbers and working with people. She worked for the bank for 18 years.

Carma spent her time volunteering for many organizations, including the Buhl Library Board, Buhl city schools, the Unwed Mother program for Twin Falls County, Meals on Wheels, and Magic Valley Memorial Hospital. She served a mission at the LDS Family Services for two years and volunteered at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Boise Idaho Temple for many years. She indexed and reviewed over 160,000 family history records.

In 2007, Warren and Carma moved to Boise, and Warren passed away from the effects of treatment for lung cancer in 2009. Carma continued to serve her neighbors and keep in contact with many family and friends.

She surrounded herself with beautiful things and shared her joys in life with a ready laugh and optimistic spirit. She gave goodies out of the “deep freeze” to every visitor and called her many loved ones on every birthday. She wanted her children to know that she knows the gospel is true, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ and our Savior. The love of her life is her family.

Carma is survived by her three children, Patsy (Bob) of Franklin, ID; Mark (Lynne) of South Weber, UT; Dixie (Dave) of Meridian, ID; twenty grandchildren; seventy-two great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren; five siblings, Howard, Herb, Thelma, Glen, and Ray; and her parents, Les and Ruby.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Friday, September 30, 2022, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 2515 W. Ustick, Meridian. Graveside services will follow at the Richmond, Utah Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Primary Children’s Hospital, Intermountain Foundation, 100 N. Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84113 or intermountainhealthcare.org/primary-childrens/give.