Donnasue Saxe Henderson

Donnasue Saxe Henderson, age 79, entered her eternal home on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas. Donnasue was born in Memphis, TN to William D. Saxe and Lillian L. Rogers Saxe and, after their divorce, raised there by her mother and stepfather, Carel C. Hinsley Jr.

After completing her first eight years of education at Gragg School, she attended and graduated from Treadwell High School in 1961. She studied at Drones Business School for a short time before obtaining employment with AT&T as a long-distance operator, a job in which she excelled and enjoyed.

On June 3, 1965, she married the love of her life, Dwight Henderson who had grown up in the same neighborhood and who she had dated throughout and after high school. A year later, Dwight was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, and they were off to his first assignment in Duluth, MN where Donnasue transferred to the local telephone company. She worked there until just before the birth of their first daughter in 1967. Fourteen months later their second daughter was born.

Choosing to become a full-time mother, she was always actively involved in her children’s education, taking them to story times at the library as toddlers and preschoolers, serving as a room mother in their classrooms, enrolling them in the library’s reading program every summer during their elementary school years, and always being available to assist with school projects. She frequently interacted with teachers and administrators on many issues from curriculum to discipline and welfare of the students, advocating for all students not just her own.

Having been raised in, and later, after conversion as a teenager, becoming a member of National Avenue Baptist Church in Memphis, she knew the importance of living a Christian life. Once she and Dwight married, she joined Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Memphis where he was already a member, and they transferred their memberships to each local Nazarene church wherever they were stationed, from Duluth, to Okinawa, to Ellsworth, SD, to Whiteman, MO, and finally, San Antonio, TX, during Dwight’s 20-year career in the Air Force, joining San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene in 1983.

She took to heart Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” She not only faithfully took her children to church, but she set an example of faith and service whether she was working in the nursery when her daughters were young, teaching children’s Sunday School classes, serving in multiple roles on Church Boards, or working in Vacation Bible School as director, teacher, crafts leader, or assistant.

Her two passions serving in the church were working with children and supporting the work of world missions. She served in her churches’ local missionary societies in most of the elected offices, such as treasurer, president, and frequently as a delegate to the churches’ annual District Assemblies, and many of the appointed or volunteer offices, such as reading chairman or study chairman where she enjoyed educating the congregations about missionaries and their work around the world. Throughout her years of service in the church, she held most of the elected positions on church boards which were many and varied.

Donnasue also relished assisting Texas voters in exercising their right to vote as she worked most of the elections in Bexar County from the primary in 2004 through the primary in 2020, first as an elections clerk, and then, after becoming certified, as a polling site judge. She deeply loved serving her community in this work.

She also loved crafts and enjoyed several over the years. While they were stationed at Kadena, AFB in Okinawa, she took a variety of classes, such as sewing, candle making, and making flowers from fabric, which were offered through the base’s Morale and Welfare Unit. The one she seemed to enjoy most was cake decorating. She used the skills learned in those classes to continue making all her daughters’ birthday cakes as they were growing up, letting them choose what kind of cake and how they wished for her to decorate it each year. She also happily decorated cakes for various church functions and personal requests. She continued to enjoy learning new craft skills whenever opportunities arose.

She was preceded in death by, her parents, stepfather, father-in-law, Bennie Wells Henderson, mother-in-law, Evelyn Catherine Smith Henderson; daughter Susan Lynnette Henderson Baker; granddaughter, Alyssa Dawn Baker, and brother-in-law, Terry Lee Henderson.

Donnasue is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Thourld Dwight Henderson, of San Antonio, TX; daughter, Melissa Dawn Henderson, also of San Antonio; sister, Linda Kay Warren (Jerry), of Batesville, MS; nieces, Kimberly Young (Scott), Rhonda Henderson Mullins (Sam), and Nicole Henderson Worsham (Lee); great nieces, Emma Nichopoulos, Ella Nichopoulos, Alyssa Gentry, and Raylee Worsham; great nephew Hunter Worsham; step great nephews, Cole Mullins and Hayes Mullins; and sister-in-law, Gwen Henderson.

She was laid to rest near her parents and lifelong friends in Memorial Gardens, Memphis, TN after funeral and committal services on Friday, June 30, 2023, at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN 38133.

A Celebration of Life service will be held in San Antonio, TX on Friday, July 21, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Porter Loring North, 2102 N. Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, TX 78232.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Church of the Nazarene’s World Evangelism Fund. To give online, visit: https://nazarene.org/wef. To make donations by mail, make checks payable to General Treasurer and include the Giving Code 109 on the memo line and mail to: Church of the Nazarene, 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa, KS 66220.

Proverbs 31:10-12, 26, 28, and 31 (NIV):

"A wife of noble character who can find?She is worth far more than rubies.Her husband has full confidence in herand lacks nothing of value.She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life."

"She speaks with wisdom,and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

"Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her:"

"Honor her for all that her hands have done,and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Psalm 15 (NIV):A psalm of David."Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless,who does what is righteous,who speaks the truth from their heart;whose tongue utters no slander,who does no wrong to a neighbor,and casts no slur on others;who despises a vile personbut honors those who fear the Lord;who keeps an oath even when it hurts,and does not change their mind;who lends money to the poor without interest;who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Please Click here to View the Services of Mrs. Donnasue Henderson.