Dorothy A. Henson
Dorothy A. Henson died on Tuesday, February 3, 2020. She was 96 years old.
She was born on December 16, 1923, in Ste. Genevieve, a daughter of Robert and Eula May Sadler Jenkins.
She was married to Eddie Henson on April 22, 1945, in Flat River, and he preceded her in death on January 28, 2000.
She is survived by one son, Steve Henson and his wife Jan of Sedalia; a daughter, Judy Baumann and her husband Kendall of Pittsburg, Kansas; two sons-in-law, Ron Henke of Springfield, Missouri, Lex Taber of Watts, Oklahoma; 10 grandchildren, Julie Kastler, Dawn Little, Harry Little III, Dr. Scott Henke, Brian Henke, Sara Henke, Steven Henson Jr., Anthony Henson, Jesica McAnuff, Sarah Priesendorf; one brother, Glennon Jenkins and his wife Kathy of Willow Street, Pennsylvania; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two daughters, Jacqueline Taber, Cindy Henke; two granddaughters, Mundy Lynn Phillips, Amy Leigh Priesendorf; a sister and her husband, Marcella and Francis Basler; and a brother and his wife, Robert and Cathy Jenkins.
She attended schools in Ste. Genevieve; Biloxi, Mississippi; Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas; Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri; State Fair Community College, Sedalia, Missouri; and University of Texas, working toward a degree in early childhood development while in the National Association of Young Children.
Being a military wife, she lived on several Air Force Bases including 3 1/2 years in Rhine Maine and Munich, Germany. Their last assignment was Whiteman AFB in 1957, where she started the first base nursery in two old World War II barracks. Under her direction, the Whiteman Child Care Center was selected as the best child care center in the Strategic Air Command in the 1970s. She retired in 1986 as the director of the Modern Child Care Center, including Kiddie Kampus pre-school.
She was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Ste. Genevieve; former member of the First Baptist Church of Knob Noster; and, at the time of her death, a member of the First Baptist Church of Sedalia. Other memberships included: charter member of the Order of Eastern Star, Chapter No. 8 in Munich, Germany; Ladies of Ararat Shrine; Bothwell Regional Health Center Auxiliary; Jolly Elders; Be Forever Young; Royal Neighbors of America; AARP; and Willing Workers Sunday School Class.
She always cherished her family. Always proud of her family, she held dearly to the privilege of being a great-grandmother of 13 beautiful children.
Funeral services were Saturday, February 8, at the Heckart Funeral Home in Sedalia, Missouri. Burial was at the Knob Noster Cemetery. Heckart Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Cynthia Henke Scholarship, State Fair Community College.
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