Benjamin Berry Henderson Sr.
b. May 1930- d. June 2020
Ben Henderson was a wonderful father, husband and brother. He loved his family and knew how to make everyone he knew feel loved. The genealogical community for Berry’s and Henderson’s has also lost a valuable and cherished member. Below is a copy of his obituary. Rest in peace Dad, we love you. -Aaron Henderson
June 10, 2020 – News & Observer Obituaries
“Benjamin Berry Henderson, 90, passed away on June 6, 2020. Ben was born in Raleigh on May 28, 1930 to the late Clyde and Malena Berry Henderson. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jean Jones Henderson, his sister Barbara Jacobs, his three children, Brenda Yates(Randy), Benjamin Berry Henderson, Jr.(Seo Young) and Aaron Henderson(Beth), and two step children, Macon Jones(Linda) and Beth Robbins(Mark). In addition, Ben is survived by eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Jamie Lynn McLeod. Ben served his country in the U.S Airforce in Korea and returned to Raleigh to attend N.C. State University. He had a 30 year career with Westinghouse in Raleigh and later also worked for CP&L.
During retirement, Ben accomplished many goals and made many new friends and connections while researching his family tree. He created the Berry Tree website and a blog so that all the relatives could keep in touch. One of his biggest accomplishments was writing and self-publishing a genealogy book entitled Our Berrys in Frontier America. Through this work, Ben discovered cousins as far away as California and throughout the U.S. and these connections were a great joy in his life.
Due to COVID 19, no services are planned at this time. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place,
Memphis, TN 38105.”
The following is my father’s notes on this site about his research.
My direct Berry family line as far back as I know. Roger Williamson and Ann Foster Richard Williamson and Mary Kemp daughter of George Kemp and Mary Hutchinson Mary Williamson and Robert Berry Robert Berry and Elizabeth Cate William Berry and Hannah Cate Thomas Person Berry and Sarah Lunsford John Robert Berry and Elizabeth Frances Bowling Wiley P. Berry and Ida Ann Wilson Sally Malena Berry and Jesse Clyde Henderson Benjamin Berry Henderson Sr.
I began to research the Berry Family of which my mother descended 20 years ago in 1997. This has been a most rewarding effort. My wife and I went to Texas to spend some time with my her college roommate and her husband. I learned that he had subscribed to Ancestry.com. Jim was a computer nerd like me and while I was looking at some of his good equipment he called up my Henderson family on his copy of Family Treemaker. There was a very accurate listing of my family. I was flabbergasted and said to myself, I will have one of those programs when I return home. Shortly after that one of my cousins wife died and at her funeral another of my Berry cousins suggested that we should do a family tree for our Berry family. This was the spark that started my quest. I only knew a little about my great grandfather, John Robert Berry, when I subscribed to Ancestry.com myself. I am now 87 years old and decided to add my life story to my web page “berrytree.org.”
My life began on Wednesday May 28 1930. I was born in Dr. Thomas Meridith’s plantation home that was built before the Civil War. Dr Meredith founded the women’s college known as Meredith College in Raleigh North Carolina
