Death of former missionary, Muriel W. Henderson

It is was deep sadness that Global Ministries announces the death of Muriel W. Henderson.

Muriel W. Henderson was born on June 20, 1920 in Tacoma, Washington, and died on June 9, 2009 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Her family and friends knew her as Ki.  She lived a full and active life with a wonderful will to experience as much as possible.  She spent 22 years between 1947 and 1969 as a missionary in Angola with her husband, Reverend Lawrence W. (Larry) Henderson, leaving there when the colonial war for independence made it hard to continue the work.  She and Larry moved to New Jersey where he worked for the United Church Board for World Ministries (UCBWM) in New York and she worked in social services.  She loved working with African students at the Africa-America Institute.  Ki and Larry finished their careers in Florida, first in Leisure City and then at Sun City Center.  From 1985 to 1991 they lived in Portugal where they had first gone in 1947 to learn Portuguese for their work in Angola.  Ki helped Larry research in Portuguese archives for his book on the Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA).  While there they reconnected with many old friends from Angola.  In 1991 they moved to Durham, NC, and became active in the life of Pilgrim United Church of Christ.  Ki was a life-long letter writer and corresponded with friends and colleagues all over the world.  She was thrilled to learn that the Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture at Duke University will acquire her papers.  Larry, her husband of 60 years, died in 2003.

Ki is survived by her children Kathleen Ashley and Jack Reuter, Nancy and Doug Henderson-James, David Henderson and Susan Greenberg, and Mark and Mary Henderson, by five grandsons, Christopher Ashley, Nathan and Noel Henderson-James, and Julian and Noah Henderson, by her niece Janice Jangard, many nieces and nephews on Larry’s side, and numerous missionary nieces and nephews.  Her sister Marcia Shannon died in 1977.

A memorial service will be held at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Durham, NC, on August 18, 2009.

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family in care of Nancy and Doug Henderson-James, 912 Shepherd St, Durham, NC 27701.

The family wishes to acknowledge the support of the Pilgrim UCC congregation, Duke Hospice, and the staff at Brookdale Wynwood.  Memorials may be made to the Angola Memorial Scholarship Fund www.angolamsf.org/ or to the Dille/Dunbar Fund in support of schools for young Angolan women through Global Ministries http://www.globalministries.org/africa/projects/schools-for-angolan-young-women.html