Henderson, Doris Lee 1935-2023

HENDERSON, HALE, BENNETT, BORTS, BROWN, BANDY, KLUBBEN, WILLIAMS, HARMON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/12/2023 at 20:24:45

Doris Lee Henderson
September 19, 1935 - February 25, 2023

Doris Lee (Hale) Henderson, “Grandma Frog”, was a beloved grandmother, mother, and wife. She was 87 years old and lived in West Des Moines, IA. She passed away on February 25, 2023, surrounded by family after a battle with cancer.

She was born on September 19, 1935 to Warren and Verble (Bennett) Hale in Villisca, IA, the middle child of their three children.

Doris attended school in Villisca and then her family moved to a farm in Colfax, where she went to Sand Hill Country School. After graduating 8th grade, she started at Colfax High School and was Homecoming Princess her freshman year. Her first paying job was candling eggs at John Dicks Hatchery and then she worked at Newton Daily News.

Doris met the love of her life, Clifford Henderson, who was a senior football player. She said it was love at first sight. When they were dating they had to take her younger brother, Russell, on many of their dates and he liked to sit in between them. However, that did not deter Cliff from dating her. They were married on April 13, 1952 at The Colfax Christian Church. After they were married, they lived in Newton where they had their first child, then they moved to Des Moines. Soon after they moved to California where they had their second child, but they got homesick and moved back to Iowa where they had two more children. Later she started a home daycare so she could stay home with their children. After some time, California was calling to them again and off they went to spend almost 40 years there raising their children.

While in California, they lived in El Cerrito, Berkeley, and then bought a home in San Pablo where they lived for 12 years. Doris taught Sunday school and played the piano at the 7th Day Adventist Church. Then they became members of the Nazarene Church where she also taught Sunday school and played the piano. She started her second go round with a home daycare for 11 years until their children were done with school. In 1978 they moved to Vallejo and then in 2001 they moved back to Iowa and settled in West Des Moines to fully retire and to enjoy living closer to their brothers, Zeke and Russ.

She was a “Collector of Frogs”. Her first frog knickknack was given to her by one of her daycare kids and that’s how it all started! She started collecting stuffed frogs, figurines, and pictures, she had quite the collection. Her grandchildren called her “Grandma Frog”.

Doris is survived by her loving husband, Cliff, of 70 years; her sons, Randy and daughter-in-law Terry of Concord, CA, Barry and daughter-in-law Myra of Suisun City, CA; son-in-law, Johnny Bandy of Galt, CA; forever cherished and remembered by her 17 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren; brother Russell Hale; sister-in-laws Kay Hale, Nora (Henderson) Borts, Colleen Henderson; brother-in-laws Ronald “Zeke” Henderson, Charles “Bob” Brown.

Doris was predeceased by her father, Warren; mother, Verble; brother Warren; in-laws, Harold, Angie, and Catharine; daughters, Roxanna (Henderson) Bandy, Robin (Henderson) Klubben; sister-in-law, Cora (Henderson) Williams; grandson Michael Klubben; great grandson Dylan Harmon.

At Doris’s request, there will not be a funeral or memorial service. Instead she would like her family in California to have a celebration of life picnic to bring all her family together.

Doris will be dearly missed and always remembered.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Doris, please visit our Tree Store.
Events
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View Tribute Book ~ The Coburn Funeral Home, Colfax, Iowa 25 Feb 2023.