Clarence E. Henson, Jr. (1927-2021)

HENSON, HUGHES, FINLEY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 6/18/2021 at 16:14:40

Clarence E. Henson, Jr., 94, of Geneseo, died on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at Hillcrest Home, Geneseo. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., on Monday, June 21st at Stackhouse-Moore Funeral & Cremation Services, Geneseo. Rev. Mark Graham will officiate. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Geneseo. Visitation will take place on Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m., at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Geneseo Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 171, Geneseo, IL 61254, or Grace United Methodist Church, 318 N. Center St., Geneseo, IL 61254.

Clarence was born on January 8, 1927, in Williamsville, Missouri, the son of Clarence E. Sr. and Jettie (Hughes) Henson. On April 17, 1949, he married Marilyn Rhodes of Greenville, MO. She preceded him in death on November 27, 2020, after 71 years of marriage. He attended Southeast Missouri College in Cape Girardeau and graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering. He was the first Agricultural Engineer at the University of Missouri to receive the Student Honor Award presented to outstanding students in the field of engineering.

Clarence served two years in the Army Signal Corps including duty in the White House. He started his employment in engineering with J.I. Case in Rockford, Illinois on July 1, 1954, and served at a number of plants over the years. For the last 13 years before his retirement in 1984, he was Chief Engineer at the J. I. Case, Rock Island, Illinois facility.

He was a past member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Society of Agricultural Engineers. He served 15 years on the Hammond Henry Hospital board of directors and 5 years on the Rebuilding Together board of directors. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Geneseo where he was active at both the local and division levels, and he was instrumental in starting the Key Club in Geneseo. Clarence was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, Geneseo, and served in various capacities within the church. He enjoyed fishing in Canada, hunting wild turkeys in Missouri, playing golf, and gardening.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Vickie and Jerry Finley, Bettendorf; Iowa; a son, Stanley Henson, Richmond Heights, MO; two grandsons, Ryan (Amanda) Finley, and Grant (Kim) Finley; great-granddaughters, Mya & Quinn Finley; and one sister, Betty McFarland, Columbia, MO. He was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters, and two brothers.