Joan Henderson

Known for her kind heart, her generous touch, and her unending love for her family, Joan Henderson was a blessing to everyone she met. She was a hardworking woman who took great pride in doing things well, but there was nothing that made her more proud than witnessing her family tree blossom to include the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren she adored. Although she was more quiet by nature, Joan was the sort of person whom everyone seemed to know as she was genuine and completely approachable, too. She lived a life filled with numerous experiences that enriched her days, but nothing was better than sharing these things with the ones she loved most. Gentle and gracious, Joan will be forever missed.

Although the 1920s were primarily prosperous days in America, the 1930s were a much different story as the Great Depression held our nation and much of the world firmly in its grip throughout the entire decade and beyond. Jobs became scarce, the unemployment rate soared, and countless American families lost their homes in the process. Despite the trials around them, Alvin and Ruby (Hanna) Scherry were able to shift their focus to an exciting time in their own lives as they were eagerly anticipating the birth of their baby as the heat of the summer covered the city of Battle Creek, Michigan, in July of 1930. The big day finally arrived when the baby girl they named Joan drew her first breath on July 9th. She was the younger of two children in her family, joined by her older brother, Jim, in the family home. Joan’s father was a foreman at Clark Equipment in Battle Creek and later owned a hatchery and feed store in Union City while her mother was a busy wife, mother, and homemaker. She was a young girl of her generation who attended local schools. Joan’s high school years found her at Buchanan High School where she played the clarinet in the band. She went on to graduate in 1948 with honors and was voted best dressed and most attractive her senior year. After graduation she went on to attend South Bend College of Business.

New and exciting changes were in store for Joan when she met the young man of her dreams. His name was Carl Henderson, and they met in 1950 when he was a customer at the bank where she was working. Sparks flew right from the start, and they began dating. It wasn’t long before the couple found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together, Joan and Carl were married on September 3, 1950, at her parents’ home, but it wasn’t without her mother having him investigated first! They lived in Union City where she continued to work at the bank for a time. Joan and Carl were later blessed to welcome their two children, Mike and Karen, into their hearts and home. From the time they were born she was able to stop working at the bank while her husband worked to support the family. The Hendersons spent two years living in Portage before building the house they would call home for 46 years in nearby Vicksburg.

In everything she did, Joan’s family was first and foremost. Although she didn’t like to cook, her family thought that everything she made was fantastic. Joan took great care in keeping a neat and organized home, and it was something she took great pride in doing for her family. Christmas was something she looked forward to every year, and she loved hosting everyone for the holiday. When her children got older and grandchildren came along, Joan couldn’t have been happier. She loved spending as much time with them as she could, and her favorite thing to do was to care for her family. Joan was a nurturer through and through, and she was also the peacemaker of the family.

Joan was one to keep busy and interested in numerous things. She and her husband were state husband and wife muzzle loading champions, and she also loved dancing, especially the jitterbug and to big band music. Joan was a member of the Eastern Star, and she also attended a local United Methodist church later in life. Joan enjoyed keeping a vegetable garden, and she was in a golf league for years. In July of 2010, she was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved husband after 60 years of marriage, but her faith and the love of her family carried her through the weeks and months that followed.

All who knew Joan Henderson would agree that she was one of the sweetest people around and a friend to many. Comments from classmates in her high school yearbook repeatedly used the words: sweet, friend and of course pretty. She was gracious, kind, and gentle with a zest for life that was contagious to all who were near. Joan was never one to worry about the things of this world, rather, her focus was on living life to the fullest with the ones she treasured most. She leaves behind a priceless collection of memories that her loved ones will forever cherish.

Joan Henderson, of Vicksburg, died on July 12, 2015, at Upjohn Community Care Center. Joan’s family includes her children: Mike (Sherri) Henderson, Karen (Mike) Hill; brother: Jim (Marcile) Scherry and a sister-in-law, Metta Lou Henderson; grandchildren: Christie, Greg, Dave; 5 great grandchildren: and several nieces and nephews. Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Carl Henderson. Visit with her family and friends and view her life story film on Wednesday, July 15 at 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Vicksburg; 409 S. Main St. (649-1697). A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the same location. Please visit Joan’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo and sign her memory book online. Memorial donations can be made to the Amber Way Life Enrichment Fund or the Alzheimer’s Association.