Glenda Ava (Hovey) Hensley
Glenda Ava (Hovey) Hensley, 81, of Cabool, Mo., passed away on Aug. 6, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. She was born on Sept. 24, 1948, in West Plains, Mo., to Herbert and Verna Hovey.
Glenda was raised in the South Fork/West Plains area alongside her older brother, Wayne. She was saved and baptized at a young age and graduated from West Plains High School in 1956.
On Aug. 24, 1956, she was united in marriage to Joe Vern Hensley. Together they celebrated 58 years of marriage prior to his death on Dec. 5, 2014. Their first child Randy was born on April 3, 1958; daughter Gayla was born on Nov. 4, 1959; son Kevin on Dec. 11, 1962; and their youngest son Kelly was born on Aug. 23, 1964.
Glenda and Joe began raising their young family in Hocomo while she worked at South Fork School. In 1969, the family moved to Cabool where Glenda began working for attorney John Alpers Jr. as a legal secretary. She would hold this position until the business closed in 2018.
Glenda enjoyed all types of cooking and spent countless hours canning and freezing produce given to her from friends from all over the area, never letting anything go to waste. She had a “green thumb” and could make flowers grow anywhere.
Glenda loved to travel, especially with her friend, Judy. Oh, the places they went and the stories she told. They took trips all over the country, both near and far. One of her favorite destinations was the casinos in Tunica, Miss., where Glenda’s Irish luck never ran out.
Glenda loved to visit with everyone; she never met a stranger and was a dear friend to many. She was an amazing “Mom,” “Grandma” and “Nana,” delighting in the details of our lives. A highlight in her later years was Wednesday afternoons spent with Chase and Bayley (lovingly nicknamed Petunia).
In addition to her parents and husband, Glenda was preceded in death by her father- and mother-in-law Leonard and Angie Hensley, and her brother Wayne Hovey and wife Patsy. Those left holding her memory dear in their hearts at her children Randy and wife Kathy, Gayla and husband Glenn, Kevin and wife Valerie and Kelly and wife Missy; grandchildren Jeremy and Julie, Kelli Jo and Alex, Lyndsey, Nathan and Ashley, Dustin and Brittany, Ryan and Jennifer, Tyler and Sarah, Evan and Karame and Trevor and Missy; 20 great-grandchildren; and nephews Keith Hovey and wife Brenda, Bruce Hovey and wife Kathy and Mark Hovey. Also, holding a very special place in Glenda’s heart are her companion, dear friend and “boss” Jack Alpers and his daughters, Nancy, Melissa and Beth.
Glenda was a person who was larger than life. She made good from bad and happy from sad and always stressed the importance of having fun. May her life be a legacy to us all.
Private graveside services were held Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, at the Bridges Creek Missionary Baptist Hill Cemetery near Elijah, Mo., under the direction of Elliott-Gentry-Carder Funeral Home of Cabool, Mo.
