Lena Henry

Mrs. Lena Henry, Wyoming Resident 59 Yrs., Dies Here

With the death of Mrs. Lena Henry, on Thursday, February 15, about noon, Lusk lost another of its beloved pioneers.

Funeral services were held in the Congregational Church on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock. The services were conducted by Rev. Lawrence P. Juell, pastor of the Congregational Church, assisted by Rev. Ezra Meeker, pastor of the Lusk Baptist Church.

Music was furnished by a quartet composed of Mrs. H.J. Templeton, Miss LaVern Johns, Miss Irene Ellison and Dan Christian. Mrs. J.P. Watson was the accompanist. Mrs. Templeton sang as a solo, "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere."

Honorary pallbearers were Edward M. Arnold, Henry Petz, Carl w. Spacht, Lawrence Johnson, Hans Gautschi and Leonard Christian. The active casket bearers were Bunton Alter, George Gibson, W.J. Mill, Conrad Larson, Roy Chamberlain and W.D. Miller.

Interment was made in the Lusk Cemetery and arrangements were in charge of the Peet Mortuary.

Death came to Mrs. Henry in her 88th year. She had been active until about two years ago when her health began to fail, so last September she disposed of her residence property to Leonard Christian and went to make her home with her niece, Mrs. Glen L. Cates and family.

Lena Larson was born in Flekkefjord, Norway, August 13, 1857, the daughter of Lars and Gertrude Tonesen.

In 1882 she came to America and for a time lived with a sister in Fargo, North Dakota. She then went to Cheyenne, where she was employed in one of the fine homes of those early days. Also employed in this home was another young girl from Norway by the name of Louisa Eng, later known to Lusk people as Mrs. John Giinther. These girls became life-long friends. Hearing talk of a railroad that was to be built along the Running Water, the girls decided that here was a chance to go into business for themselves, so before the railroad was built, these two courageous girls took the stage coach at Cheyenne and arrived at the frontier town of Silver Cliff, where they opened a restaurant, whose popularity is still talked of by other pioneers of those early days.

WAS LUSK PIONEER
With the coming of the railroad the business was moved to the new town of Lusk.

On August 19, 1891, Lena Larson was married to William Henry and the next nine years of her life were spent on a ranch on Walker Creek, 20 miles from Douglas, where they were successful in the stock-raising business.

They then moved back to Lusk and for twelve years owned and operated the Northwestern Hotel. Mr. Henry died in 1924.

In 1918 Mrs. Henry erected and for several years conducted the Henry Hotel, now the Spencer Hospital.

She was a shrewd business woman, a loyal friend and her countless acts of kindness are known to all who came in contact with her. She had no children of her own, but many of her nieces and nephews made their home with their aunt at some time in their life, so it seemed fitting that when her long and useful life came to a close shortly after noon on last Thursday, that she was in the home of a niece, Mrs. Glen L. Cates.

Mrs. Henry played an important part in the early history of Eastern Wyoming. She was active and helpful in bringing about progress, improvement and prosperity. Her record is creditable alike to the town of Lusk and the land of her adoption.

She is survived by a brother, Louis T. Larson, and a sister, Mrs. Hannah Boerth of Fargo, North Dakota, and by many nieces and nephews. Those who are best known here are Mrs. Gena Berry and Mrs. Clara Schroeder of Denver, Mrs. Lillian Seanor of Bakersfield, Calif.; Mrs. Gertrude Wilson of Dallas, Texas; August Larson of Cheyenne; Mrs. Agnes Burge, Mrs. Carrie Brown, Mrs. Gertrude Hanson, and Mrs. Louise Cates of .....

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