Joyce Prestwood Henderson

March 22, 2016

Mrs. Joyce Prestwood Henderson, age 83, passed from this earthly life Saturday, March 19, 2016, in Jay. She was a native of McCullough, AL and a resident of Flomaton for most of her life. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Flomaton.

Joyce Henderson was a wife, mother and grandmother; she was the kindest, gentlest and strongest person who loved her family, her friends and her Jesus. She was a blessing to her family and all who knew her.

Joyce managed the office for Henderson Ready Mix, but she was never one to shy away from hard work, batching and loading cement, gravel, sand and water into the concrete mixers. Even with running back and forth from the home office to the concrete plant, she felt her most important job was in the home.

Her greatest accomplishments in life were being a wife to Allen for 65 years; raising her three children, Ann, Jimmy and Marie, as well as her daughter-in-law, Renita, and then watching and helping raise her seven grandchildren, James Francis, Layla, Christy, Amanda, Dorothy Zela, Allen and Beau; and nine great-grandchildren, Shayla, Leif, Crest, Ember Claire, Callum, Benjamin, Becca, Emory and Ian. Joyce could always be found in the kitchen of the Henderson home, crafting meals for her beloved family. She was eager to teach her children and grandchildren how to cook the perfect pot of lima beans, bake a prize-winning strawberry cake, and can insanely delicious fig preserves. Any family dinner was sure to feature her tender pot roast and always-in-demand shrimp creole.

Joyce had a love for babies and was eager to hold any baby. She had a comforting way of loving on babies that would always soothe them, and she wanted to encourage all new mothers to trust their instincts. She was an advocate of breast feeding and encouraged other mothers to do so as well if they were able.

Joyce loved to sing and play the piano. She never took lessons, but over the years, she taught herself how to read music and play. She played a lot by ear and could hear almost any song and play it on the piano; she passed that love of playing on to her family.

Allen and Joyce both placed their first priority in life as a relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and both shared that joy with all they met. Joyce was a member of First Baptist Church of Flomaton for more than 60 years; an active member of a community prayer chain for many years, Joyce was quick to cover family and friends with the power of prayer. She always said that when someone crosses your mind, it’s God’s prompt to pray for them, and that’s exactly what she did, regardless of the time of day.

We cry because we miss our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, but we rejoice in knowing where she is today. She always told us that we shouldn’t worry about her when she left this world because she said, “I’m going home! I’m going to see my Mama and Daddy, and I haven’t seen them in over 75 years. I’ll see my family in Heaven, so don’t cry or worry about me because I’m going home.”

We take comfort in knowing that when she breathed her last breath on this earth, she was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus instantly, and that Allen, her beloved husband, was waiting right behind him to hug his sweetheart. They have been apart for six months now, which is the longest amount of time they had been apart since they married in 1950.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen Henderson, Jr.; parents, George and Sallie Prestwood; three brothers, Terry, Leon and Alex Prestwood; and seven sisters, Georgia Gibbs Cannon, Laurie Prestwood, Frances Prestwood, Carolyn Cave, Ethel Barnett, Ruby Wyse Olmstead and Dorothy Robinson Edmisten; and two great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Henderson is survived by one son, James Allen (Renita) Henderson of Flomaton; two daughters, Ann Henderson Schmitz of Birmingham, AL; and Zela Marie Henderson of Pensacola; seven grandchildren, Christina Ann, James Francis, Layla Ann, Amanda Joyce, Dorothy Zela, Allen, and Beaureguard Prestwood; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Esther Leonard and Faye Dickey; and one sister-in-law, Willneilia Wiggins Henderson of Flomaton.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at First Baptist Church of Flomaton with Rev. Earl Lee officiating.

Burial was at Little Escambia Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Allen Henderson, Beau Henderson, Francis Henderson, Jimmy Henderson, Buddy Roberson and Eric Waters.

Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.

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Written by Jane · Filed Under Obituaries