Jack Henry's Obituary
Jack Henry, 88, of Clinton, died Sunday, March 21, 2010 at the Harmony House, Clinton. Funeral Services will be 10:30am, Friday, March 26, 2010 at the Evangelical Free Church, Clinton. Burial will be in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery with military honors being conducted by the Clinton AMVETS Post #28. Serving as pallbearers will be Harry Boggs, Dick Carpenter, Jim Cox, Ray Dellit, Bill Tompkins, and Dale Wilson. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be members of the Clinton Parks and Recreation Department and the Clinton Riverboat Days Committee. Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00-7:00pm at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes and Crematory. Joseph Elmer Henry was born on May 19, 1921 in Camanche, Iowa the son of Joseph and Daisy (Green) Henry. He married Betty L. Hume on May 25, 1946 in Clinton, Iowa. Jack was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army, and loved to share stories of his military days with all who would listen. He served as manager of the A to Z Salvage Yard for twelve years. Later he took the job as foreman on the Clinton Park Board before becoming Park Superintendent, retiring in 1986 after twenty-nine years of service to the city. He looked forward each morning to beginning a new day with the crew. Jack was an avid supporter and one of the founding fathers of Clinton Riverboat Days. He continued to play a role in the festivities over the past forty-nine years. Each year as Riverboat Days drew to a close he was already anticipating the next year’s event. Jack was a member of the Evangelical Free Church and upon his retirement he took the custodial job at the church. His love for the Clinton parks and Riverboat Days was surpassed only by his love of family and friends. He was a quiet man of great honor, deeply devoted as a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, as well as to his extended family. His riches in life were the simple pleasures of having his wife Betty by his side, sitting in church, or a golf cart at Riverboat Days, or at home baking cookies or pies in preparation for the holidays. Jack loved having time with his family, be it spending a few hours on the river fishing with his son-in-law, sharing memories of his boyhood on Beaver Island, and recalling the many adventures of his eighty-eight years of life with his family and friends. Jack’s passion for woodworking would have him spend many hours in his workshop working on numerous different projects. His favorite project was building birdhouses, which now grace yards across the country, as most visitors would walk away from his home with one as a gift in hand. Above all, his greatest joy in life was the cherished moments he spent with his beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jack is survived by his wife: Betty of Clinton; one daughter: Anna (Charlie) Sexton of Clinton; two grandchildren: Tracey Sexton and Tim (Anna) Sexton; two great-grandchildren: Shane Nier and Natalia Sexton; his sister: Martha (Donald) Dauen of Clinton; and several nieces and nephews. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, and three sisters. The family requests that memorials be made to Clinton Riverboat Days or the Evangelical Free Church.
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