Marguerite Frances Henderson

Marguerite Frances (Whitten) Henderson was born to John William Lindsey and Leonora Birdie "Lena" (Sanders) Whitten on August 28, 1914 in Lawton, OK and departed this life on June 2, 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO, at the age of 96 years, 9 months and 5 days. Marguerite grew up in Lawton, OK and graduated Lawton High School at age 16 in 1930. She was a student at Cameron College when she married Sam Henderson in 1934. She briefly lived with family in Mississippi (Burk's Plantation) after her father was murdered by a Fort Sill soldier in 1917. She returned to Lawton in 1918 with her mother, Lena Sanders Whitten, who worked as a stenographer and clerk at the Comanche County Courthouse for many years. Married Verneil Samuel "Sam" Henderson on October 13, 1934 at Lawton, OK at the home of Mrs. Lena S. Whitten (mother), Pastor W. B. Pierce, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lawton, OK, officiated the wedding. Through the years she was a school teacher, music teacher, and was the bookkeeper at Meadors Department Store in Lawton, OK when she retired. She taught music and English at Artesia High School, Artesia, NM in the 1940s and 1950s, and worked as a substitute teacher later in the 1950s. She and Sam owned and operated Midwest Auto Supply in Artesia, NM from 1946 to 1971. They also owned and operated The Sportsman clothing store in Artesia, NM from 1946 to 1956. Marguerite and Sam returned to Oklahoma in 1971 where they worked briefly in sales, and retired. A devoted Christian, she was a Sunday School Teacher at the First Baptist Church of Temple, and was a member of the Women's Missionary Union there. She also taught Sunday School at the First Baptist Church of Artesia, NM where she was an active and devoted member from 1946 until 1971 when she returned to Oklahoma. Her hobbies were reading, music and outdoor recreation, such as fishing and camping. She was preceded in death by her husband, Verneil Samuel Henderson on March 8, 1998; her daughter, Margaret Bell Henderson Giles on July 5, 1996; her grandson, Jody Glenn Henderson on July 4, 2000; all of her siblings, George Whitten of Lawton, OK, former President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of City National Bank of Lawton; John Whitten of Duncan, OK, former President of Whitten Insurance Agency, Lindsey Whitten of Lawton, OK, former owner of Whitten Oil Company of Lawton and Mildred Elizabeth Whitten-Hunter of San Antonio, TX, founder of The Hunter Company and Sani-Fresh brand soap products, now owned by Kimberly-Clark Company. Survivors include her daughter, Patricia Ann Henderson-McCurry of Lawton, OK; 4 sons, Verneil Samuel Henderson, Jr. of Tulsa, OK, Charles William Henderson of Peyton, CO, James Lindsey Henderson of Temple, OK, John Whitten Henderson of Peyton, CO; 10 grandsons, Randy Dean Roper of Peyton, CO, Verneil Samuel Henderson II of Littleton, CO, Bobby Wayne Henderson of Lawton, OK, Toby Warren Henderson of Winston, GA, Jim Bob Henderson of Dallas, TX, Joe Hugh Giles, Jr. of Temple, OK, Thomas Patrick McCurry of Minneapolis, MN, Dustin Neil Henderson of Greeley, CO, William Adam Wilson of Colorado Springs, Martin Christopher Ryan Henderson of Peyton, CO; 3 granddaughters, Patty Jane Giles-Davis of The Colony, Texas, Jennifer Henderson Boyd of Dallas, TX, Kate Lynn Henderson of Peyton, CO; she also has 13 great grandchildren, other relatives and friends.