Obituary of Mildred Henry

Mildred Marie Joiner Henry, 95, died on July 6, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at Missouri Delta Regional Medical Center in Sikeston. Mildred Marie Joiner Henry was born in the Higgerson Community "up on the river" east of New Madrid, Missouri on February 9, 1915. Her parents William Leslie and Nevada Higgerson Joiner both died during the flu epidemic in November of 1918. She and her sister, Velva "Velvie" Joiner Gullion were raised by their maternal grandparents Andrew Jackson and Dora LaPlante Higgerson. "Miss Mildred" attended Higgerson School and graduated from the 8th grade. In her late teens, she met the love of her life, Whitson E. Henry, Sr. After a courtship where Whitson hunted on his way to and from their dates, they married on December 15, 1933. She and "Mr. Whitson" had six children, Martha Henry Hunter (Gallivan), Whitson E. "Bud" Henry, Jr., Mary Lois Henry, Patricia Henry Williams (Edwin), Faye Henry Halferty (Don) and her baby boy, William Leslie "Bill" Henry (Brenda). And eleven grandchildren, Laura Elaine Hendley, Tracy Louise Hendley, Karen Hunter Bunch, Larry L. Williams (Heidi), Gary G. Williams (Coeta), Michael Henry Hunter (Ellen), Whitson E. Henry, III (Shannon), Chad-Hunter Henry, Tina Williams Martinez (Richard), Leslie Ellen Henry, and Trey Halferty, ten great-grandchildren, five great-great grandchildren and five great step-grandchildren "Miss Mildred" was a survivor. She and Mr. Whitson barely survived the Flood of 1937 and lived through several other floods throughout their married life. She used flour sacks to make clothing for the family and was an accomplished cook. As a matter of fact, she developed her skills of cooking for a crowd when she worked for her father-in-law as the cook for his logging camp. She cooked three squares a day and was to be paid ten cents per meal. But as luck would have it, there was no money left to pay her when the job was over, so she accepted a milk cow as payment. She then churned butter to earn a little extra money to make ends meet. After the death of local war hero, Camden Bock, his buddies from Iraq who attended his funeral wanted to meet the "fry lady". Camden had shared stories about her cooking with his friends, stating that "Miss Mildred could fry an old shoe and make it taste good!" Her talents were many and over the years she used these talents to help others. She made twenty-five quilts for Ducks Unlimited, a passion of her son Bill and she always insisted that they be a part of the auction, so they would raise the most money. She was awarded the DU Conservation Service Award for her contribution to the ducks. She also quilted with the Friendship Quilters Group at the New Madrid Methodist Church who donated their proceeds to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. She even once sewed up the britches of the UPS driver (she called him the UP man) who had split them on his route. He stepped into the bathroom and handed them out to her and in a jiffy, she had them sewn up and him on his way. After Whitson died in October 1991, her sewing kept her busy. Often late at night, she could be found pedaling her old Singer Treadle machine sewing up a storm. Another of her talents was talking. If you stopped in to see "Miss Mildred", you got to hear a story or two and if she wasn't finished talking to you, she followed you to the car and continued to talk as you drove away. So when she moved to town and finally got a telephone, it was like heaven to her. She was acknowledged for the type of life she lead by the Missouri Women's Council in 2001 when she received recognition for her contribution to the state in the field of homemaking. Then local state representative Lanie Black declared her to be "an asset to the development of this country." She received a "Liftime Achievement Award" from the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce. The local Beta Sigma Phi also selected her as their "Woman of the Year" in 2004. She lived most of her life without modern conveniences. She could be found out in the yard ironing Whitson's shirts, heating the iron in a wood fire. She pumped and carried water to wash clothing and dishes, all the while with a sweet spirit. By today's standards, she was old school. She had old time values and she truly believed that "hard work never hurt anyone." Recently, when learning of someone who left their spouse for on on-line connection, she said, "Them internets are ruining the country." Her commitment to simple things and old time values are a testament to her life. And in the afterlife, whether its halo polishing, robe mending, or sweeping up the feathers from the angels' wings (which she will probably save to make pillows!), she will spend eternity just making heaven a better place for everyone the same as she did while here on Earth. Visitation will be Friday, July 9, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the New Madrid Baptist Church, 1240 Scott Street, New Madrid, Missouri. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the New Madrid Baptist Church, New Madrid. Pallbearers will be her grandsons and honorary pallbearers will be her granddaughters. Family requests that memorial contributions may be made to Higgerson School Historic Site, New Madrid, MO or the Riverbend Botanical Society (Veteran's Park), New Madrid, MO.