Grayson County TXGenWeb

Louise Henderson
10 April 1939 - 22 June 2011

The Herald Democrat
June 24, 2011
Louise Henderson, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, surrounded by family at her home in Pottsboro. Dannel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Services for Louise will be Monday, June 27, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at Georgetown Baptist Church in Pottsboro with Bobby Hancock officiating. Interment will follow at the Georgetown Cemetery. The family will be at Dannel Funeral Home on Sunday, June 26, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Louise was born April 10, 1939 in Quitique, Texas to Lewis and Opal (Bedwell) Broxson. After moving the family to Sunray, Texas, her father established himself as a successful businessman and community member. Lewis served as a volunteer fireman, and died in 1956 while fighting a fire at the Shamrock Oil & Gas refinery. Louise was 18.
Louise was the Salutatorian of her graduating class at Sunray High School, a cousin beating her to Valedictorian by a fraction of a grade point. While at Sunray High, Louise lettered in basketball and volleyball and was a band officer and majorette, and participated in many other school activities. After graduating from high school she attended Wayland Baptist College and West Texas State College.
Louise married Claude Henderson on December 20, 1959. They were married for 51 years. The young couple lived an active military life, and Louise excelled at being an Army wife. She made homes for her family in Ft. Campbell, KY; Okinawa (before it became part of Japan); the Philippines, Fortville, IN; Seattle, WA; and Indianapolis, IN. During Claude's tours in Vietnam and Korea, she moved her young family back to Texas. She made several trans-Pacific flights and cross country drives with three, and then four children.
While in Indianapolis, where the family settled for 18 years, Louise was the church organist and nursery supervisor at First Southern Baptist Church.
With their traveling days behind her, and all her children in school, Louise took a job as a key punch operator at a large plumbing supply company in Indianapolis. She quickly worked her way through the ranks, eventually becoming the Material Control Manager. After relocating to Texas, she applied to be the church secretary at Georgetown Baptist Church. When called for a reference, her old boss said, "If I had 4 or 5 employees like Louise, I could run the Coca-Cola Company."
After retiring in Texas, Louise put all of her energy and dedication into her ever expanding family, her church, and her many crafts and hobbies.
Louise fought a long, hard battle with breast cancer, and won. She was later diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, and fought a truly arduous campaign against the disease. She lost that battle, but never her sense of humor or love for life. After her diagnosis with Parkinson's, she wrote a book about her experiences with her illnesses, calling it 'Three Strikes But Not Out.'
She is survived by her husband Claude of Pottsboro; three sons: Cort Henderson, Mark Henderson and Raymond Henderson, all of Pottsboro; one daughter Katherine Fleehearty of Nashville, Indiana; brother Bobby Broxson of Sunray; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She is preceded in death by her father Lewis Broxson and her mother Opal Broxson.