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James Allen Henderson

James Allen Henderson

Services for James Allen
Henderson, 48, of Gillespie, IL will be held at 1:30 pm on Thursday, February
9, 2012 at Kravanya Funeral Home, Gillespie, IL with Rev. Steve Friese and Rev.
Dennis Hill officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, Mt. Olive, IL.
Friends may call on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at Kravanya Funeral Home,
Gillespie, IL from 5 to 8 pm. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial
tributes be directed to the Henderson Family Foundation.

James died Saturday, February 4, 2012 in his home.
James attended school in Benld and later in Gillespie when the family moved to
Gillespie. He graduated from Gillespie High School in 1982. He earned his B.A.
degree from Blackburn College in 1987 with a major in math and a minor in
chemistry. He returned to Blackburn to earn a second degree with a major in
chemistry in 1998.

His work career includes the cabinet factory in Gillespie, Wal-Mart in
Carlinville, State inspector of nursing facilities for the state of Missouri,
chemist at Mallinckrodt Chemical in St. Louis, Ciba Chemical at Earth City, Mo
and moved to General Chemical in East St. Louis, IL in 2003 where he continued
to work until his health prohibited the daily demands.

James is known for his love of music, both just to listen to and to
participate.
James began his love for music when he started band in fourth grade with Mr.
Kay. Perhaps this is also when he began his love for money because he would
practice in order to earn money, at the rate of one penny per minute. He joined
the Benld city band when he was in eighth grade. He continued in the band for
many years and turned the love of music into the love of his life because this
is where he met Anastasia. Together they continued to play in the summer bands
and later brought their children into the family band tradition.
Along with the money he earned with his musical ability he also developed a
lawn mowing business in his early teen years. For years his clients would look
forward to his mowing visits and all to some fresh vegetables from the family
garden. When it was time to get his driver’s license he had saved enough to
purchase his first car, which is still parked in their garage. You see he
always found a value and beauty in just about anything, and if it belonged to
him, he treasured it always.

James became an avid coin collector at an early age and was always searching
for coins of any denomination that would complete a collection he was working
on. He was well known at the bank because he was always searching for coins.
He was also a collector of comic books with Superman and Batman being his
special interest. Jim passed on his love of Superman to his family. Most often
you would and will see them wearing something that shows their support for his
love of the super hero, from clothing to jewelry to wrap arounds.
And we can’t forget his beer can collection that he and his brother Mark
displaced in their rooms when they were in high school.
Jim was also an avid fisherman. He especially enjoyed fishing for the large
spoonbill with his son, father and uncle in Missouri. later he and his local
fishing crew of Richard and Josh and sometimes a few others loved night
fishing.
His biggest love was getting to spend time with his grandsons, Bryant and Dean.
He was fortunate to baby sit a few days a week. He delighted in watching them
figure out how things worked. He did have the opportunity to take Bryant on a
few fishing trips.

Jim has always enjoyed sharing his knowledge with young people. When his
illness limited the amount of time he could work he finally got to teach with
the title of teacher by substituting at the school and found that was something
he loved also.
His interested in community affairs was carried through with his children Kiera
and Richard, making sure they had the opportunity to try any activity or sport
that they showed an interest in. He worked with both their summer ball teams,
soccer teams, he helped with the summer musical productions helping behind the
lights as well as in front of the lights when needed. He became a Boy Scout
leader when Richard was old enough to begin the program and stayed with the
organization even after Richard reached his eagle status.

When people talk about Jim they use words such as awesome, inspiring, and
admiration because Jim could always be counted on for his work ethic, whether
it was working on their home, organizing the boy scouts, practicing for band
concerts, preparing for a fourth of July celebration, helping in preparations for
musicals or some kind of family celebrations. He was a man of many talents and
used each one to the best of his ability to make other people happy and help
make their dreams and ideas become a reality.

He worked with Turner Hall for years and was one of their beloved Bingo
callers. The ladies always remarked that they could hear the call clearly when
Jim was there.
And of course they delighted in his wonderful smile, curly red hair and
friendliness. He was always on hand to help with the Mt. Olive parade each year
and often marched along with the family in the parade with the city band.

James Allen Henderson was born December 12, 1963 in Marshfield, Missouri to
Leslie Allen and Marjorie Morehouse Henderson. He married Anastasia Maria
Dragovich on October 12, 1984 in Gillespie, IL where they have always made
their home and reared their children.

Surviving are his parents, his wife, Anastasia, children, Kiera Elizabeth and
Josh Cherry, Richard Floyd Henderson and Sara Geisler, two grandsons, Bryant
Henderson and Dean Cherry, all of Gillespie; brothers Mark Henderson and wife
Kim and their children Kyle and Michael of Mt. Olive, Daniel Henderson and wife
Emily and their children Kevin, Andrew, and David of Hornsby. Father and
mother-in-law Steve and Pam Rademacher of Gillespie. Sister-in-law Alexandrea
Weinberg and her children, Isaac and Aaron, of Gillespie. Grandmother-in-law
Louvine Sies of Mt.Olive.
Preceding him in death were his son, John Allen Henderson in 1988,
Grandparents:John and Donna Henderson, step-grandfather, Floyd Henderson, Asa
and Lula Morehouse, and grandfather-in-law Richard Sies.

Anyone wishing to send an online condolence may do so at www.kravayafuneral.com