Today, a daughter of the King went home to dance in the streets of Heaven, and we rejoice because the hope we hold in our hearts is now her reality, thanks to a loving Savior.
A daughter, wife, mother, grandma, grammy, KU fan to the core, fierce card player, and weed-puller to the very end, she was greeted not just by the Angels but also by her parents, Harold and Clarice Henderson. I suspect Ruby June and Myrtle, her sisters-in-law, were at the front gates waving her into glory.
She was a blessed woman who loved the same man for 73 years, married just shy of 72 years! Hoover, back in the day, now you know him as Marvin spotted her on the steps of the campus cafeteria during her first year at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma. This senior classman professed his fondness for her by tying a baling wire around her ankle, apparently, a tradition that has fallen by the wayside for some obscure reason, followed by a trip to the freshman boyfriend’s dorm room, where he removed the framed photo of Marilyn from his dresser, proclaiming there was a new love story being written.
Marilyn and Hoover (Marvin) married in Manchester, Oklahoma, with $25 (maybe) in his pocket, and that afternoon, he whisked her off to Lavern, Oklahoma, to play in a baseball game. His employment was playing catcher for the Follett Texas Baseball Team. Upon him getting a hit, Marilyn rode in a wheelbarrow around bases in celebration. This story may paint my mother in a new light for a lot of you. It was the beginning of a blessed life with three sons and a daughter that grew into 11 grandchildren and is still growing today with 10 great-grands.
Dad and Mom have lived in their home together, where he cared for her as she endured the effects of dementia over the last several years, but remained healthy outside of that decline until last Thursday. He took her to get her hair fixed on Wednesday, and the next day, a neurological event caused things to change dramatically. She knew she was loved to the very end and walked out of a blessed life into the arms of Jesus 5 days later. We should all hope for such a life as this.
As I fixed her hair today and held her hand, I reminded her that she, with Ruby and Myrtle by her side, would be having a grand time today and that there would be no weeds to pull in their beautiful garden. Once again, I promised her we would take good care of Dad and wouldn’t let him move his Model T Truck into the living room to work on it, and that she had nothing to worry about. She had cared for him for 72 years, and we would take care of him now. She took her last breath not long after. She ran her race, kept her faith, and is wearing the crown of righteousness because of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We should all rejoice in her homecoming. She lived quite a wonderful life! We will post information about a celebration of life event planned for the end of April.
