Myrtle H. Henderson

Myrtle H. Henderson, 100 (25, she was born in a leap year), died May 22, 2012 at Fairview Commons Great Barrington, Mass.

She was born Feb. 29, 1912 to Watson and Eva (Robinson) Hardaker in Holyoke, Mass. She was formerly a resident of Oxford and Lynchburg, Ohio.

After graduation from Holyoke High School, she entered secretarial school and became a secretary at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass., where she met her future husband, Philip E. Henderson Sr., comptroller for the college. They were married June 7, 1934 in Hudson, N.Y. After living in a number of U.S. cities, they returned in 1940 to Lynchburg, the hometown of Philip Sr.

In 1945, they moved to Oxford, where Philip became president of Western College for Women (now a part of Miami University). She became known as a most gracious hostess of Patterson Place, the president’s home. She is remembered for her “Alphabet Teas” where faculty and students gathered, as well as her husband’s annual Junior Class Buckwheat Pancake suppers. Shortly after the end of World War II, she and Philip traveled to the University of Oslo, Norway, where she was dean of American Women and Philip was dean of American Men Summer Students. In 1951, Philip resigned from the college for health reason and they moved their family back to Lynchburg. Philip then became head of the Economics Department at Wilmington College until his death in 1955.

After moving back to Lynchburg, Myrtle and Philip continued to host Christmas open houses at their Pearl Street home. Myrtle was an active member of a number of Lynchburg organizations including the Three Arts Club, Eastern Star, and the Lynchburg United Methodist Church where she often served as organist and for 25 years was the church treasurer. Before her retirement, she was secretary of the Highland County Selective Service and later became coordinator of the Southeastern Ohio Selective Service Offices.

In 1998, she moved to a retirement community in Lenox, Mass. to be closer to her daughter, Cynthia, where she became a member of the welcoming committee for new residents and joined the Lenox United Methodist Church. She also played the organ for Protestant services that were held at the retirement home. In 2010, she moved to assisted living and then to Fairview Commons nursing home in December 2011.

In February 2012, she celebrated her 100th birthday with her children and many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren present. Although Myrtle did not attend college, she had a great respect for education and over the years gave generous support for college to her children, grand and great-grandchildren.

Myrtle was preceded in death by her husband, Philip; her parents; her sister, Florence Hillert; and brothers James, Frank, Leonard, John and George Hardaker. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Cynthia Henderson Smith; and is survived by her son, Philip (Carolyn) Henderson, of Lansing, Mich.; son-in-law, Jeremy Smith of Germantown, N.Y.; stepdaughter, Lillian May Miller of Greenville, Miss.; nine grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held Saturday, Feb. 16 at 11 a.m. at the Lynchburg United Methodist Church with pastors Mac Nicholson and Harold Braley officiating. Interment of cremated remains will follow in the Lynchburg Masonic Cemetery.

The family will receive friends of Myrtle from 10-11 a.m. at the church on Saturday.

A luncheon will follow in the church social hall.

Gifts in Myrtle’s name may be made to the Lynchburg Methodist Church Memorial Fund, P. O. box 403, Lynchburg, Ohio 45142.

The Davis-Turner Funeral Home in Lynchburg is serving the family.

For more information, please visit www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc.