Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles. Add the rinsed beans to a large bowl and cover with 6 cups water. Sit in the refrigerator overnight to allow the beans to absorb the liquid and become tender.
Next day, drain the beans in a colander. Add the beans to a Crockpot along with 8 cups of water, the ham hock, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until the beans are tender.
Remove the ham hock and pull the meat away from the bone. Roughly smash the white beans with a fork. Add the white beans and ham to the Crockpot, stir and allow it to cook 15 minutes on high heat.
Ladle into bowls and serve with cornbread or hoecakes, sliced onions, kraut and wieners, fried potatoes, salmon patties and/or greens.