Helen Henderson

Helen Henderson, age 105, of Iola, Kansas, died Saturday, March 28, 2009, at the Allen County Hospital in Iola. Helen Francine Humes Henderson, daughter of John Finton and Maud Nogle Humes, was born Dec. 28, 1903, in Humboldt, Kansas. Because of her father's work in the oil and gas fields, she moved to Indian Territory before she was a year old. The family lived in Chelsea, Allowe, and Nowata, Oklahoma and in Sweet Springs, MO, before returning to Humboldt. When she was 5, the family moved east of Gas, KS, and she began school in Gas City. When she was in the third grade they moved to Omaha, Nebraska and in the summer of 1912 moved to Bartlesville, OK. In 1914 she attended one semester of 6th grade in a country school near the new town of Oilton, OK and part of the year in the Oilton school before returning to Bartlesville where she graduated from high school in 1922. She graduated from William Woods College in Fulton, MO, in 1924 with an A.A. degree. She returned to Bartlesville and worked at Cities Service Company until she married in 1927 and moved to Tampico, Mexico. After living in Tampico and Mexico City, she moved to Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan. She returned to the United States and came to Iola where her parents had moved. She worked in the office of M.P. Colt and on Nov. 8, 1934, she married Dudley L. Henderson. In January of 1942, they moved to El Dorado, KS, where Mr. Henderson was fiscal officer for Butler County Welfare office. After Mr. Henderson entered the service in 1943, she worked in the Credit Dept. of Montgomery-Ward Company and when Mr. Henderson was assigned to the Ordnance depot in Kearney, NE, the company transferred her to Kearney where she worked as a cashier and later as a payroll clerk at the Air Base in Kearney. When Mr. Henderson was discharged from the service, they moved to Independence, KS, and in 1946 returned to Iola where they took over the Henderson Realty Company. She has been interested in Girl Scouting since becoming a member of the first troop organized in Oklahoma in 1917 and became active in the formation of Meadowlark Council in SE Kansas. After serving as Neighborhood Chairman and Vice President of the Council, she became a member of the Council Staff as field advisor in 1961. She retired at the end of 1965 but continued her interest and later was elected to the Council Board. She was Troop Leader of Troop 71 for 8 years before moving from Iola. In 1968, the Hendersons moved to their summer home on the lake of the Ozarks, returning to Humboldt in the fall of 1974 and to Iola in 1984. She was a charter member of the Allen County Historical Society and after serving as a volunteer, became the Curator-Director of the Society in the summer of 1977. She continued in that position until retiring in the fall of 1988. She was reared in the Methodist Church but became a member of the Presbyterian Church in Iola where she has retained membership. She was an active member of Daughters of the American Revolution, serving as Regent, Daughters of the American Colonists, also serving as Regent, Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, Dirt Diggers Garden Club, Current Events Club, Salem Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and Beauceants. She served on the Kansas Museum Association Board for 6 years and was given the special Presidential Citation in 1988. While working with Girl Scouts she received the "Thanks Badge" and the GS Statuette. She was honored by the Iola Lions Club as "Citizen of the Year" for 1987. Mr. Henderson preceded her in death in 1996. She is survived by a daughter, JoAnn Salley & husband, William of Orangeburg, S.C. and son, D.E. Henderson of Dallas, TX, four grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. As she requested, her body has been donated to the University Of Kansas Medical Center for research. A memorial service will be held later. Memorials are suggested to either the Allen County Historical Society or Allen County Animal Rescue Facility. Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.iolafuneral.com .