Stella was born in the Oklahoma Territory, before Oklahoma was made a state, to Gillead and Filindia (Burnett) Comer. She married at the age of 17 to Albert Henderson in Kansas City, Mo. She had two children, Emmett and Donald, who were born 11 years apart. Stella was known for her wit, her intelligence, her devotion to Jesus Christ, and her commitment to her family. She worked outside the home in numerous factories because "I liked to learn how things were made." She was a career woman in a time when working wives, mothers were not encouraged. She shared some of her earnings with a woman of color, "Ms. Martin", who watched her youngest son while she worked. "Because she was a colored woman, she had trouble finding a job that would pay her right. So, I worked and she watched Donald." Stella loved her children and grandchildren. She loved to travel and see new things. She made clothes for herself and her granddaughters without ever using a sewing pattern. She was a lifelong Christian. She liked to keep yearly scrapbooks and would paste articles, obituaries and things that interested her in books. She was the original family historian.
Stella's middle name was May (Mae). Documents with her signature show both spellings at various times. Her marriage certificate errs in spelling her first name as "Della" and Stella wrote over the D to correct the spelling, but did not correct the "May" so it is assumed that "May" is the true spelling.
Stella died following complications from gall bladder surgery, at the age of 89 years, 8 months. It was the first time she had been hospitalized in over 40 years.
Stella's middle name was May (Mae). Documents with her signature show both spellings at various times. Her marriage certificate errs in spelling her first name as "Della" and Stella wrote over the D to correct the spelling, but did not correct the "May" so it is assumed that "May" is the true spelling.
Stella died following complications from gall bladder surgery, at the age of 89 years, 8 months. It was the first time she had been hospitalized in over 40 years.
Stella was born in the Oklahoma Territory, before Oklahoma was made a state, to Gillead and Filindia (Burnett) Comer. She married at the age of 17 to Albert Henderson in Kansas City, Mo. She had two children, Emmett and Donald, who were born 11 years apart. Stella was known for her wit, her intelligence, her devotion to Jesus Christ, and her commitment to her family. She worked outside the home in numerous factories because "I liked to learn how things were made." She was a career woman in a time when working wives, mothers were not encouraged. She shared some of her earnings with a woman of color, "Ms. Martin", who watched her youngest son while she worked. "Because she was a colored woman, she had trouble finding a job that would pay her right. So, I worked and she watched Donald." Stella loved her children and grandchildren. She loved to travel and see new things. She made clothes for herself and her granddaughters without ever using a sewing pattern. She was a lifelong Christian. She liked to keep yearly scrapbooks and would paste articles, obituaries and things that interested her in books. She was the original family historian.
Stella's middle name was May (Mae). Documents with her signature show both spellings at various times. Her marriage certificate errs in spelling her first name as "Della" and Stella wrote over the D to correct the spelling, but did not correct the "May" so it is assumed that "May" is the true spelling.
Stella died following complications from gall bladder surgery, at the age of 89 years, 8 months. It was the first time she had been hospitalized in over 40 years.
Stella's middle name was May (Mae). Documents with her signature show both spellings at various times. Her marriage certificate errs in spelling her first name as "Della" and Stella wrote over the D to correct the spelling, but did not correct the "May" so it is assumed that "May" is the true spelling.
Stella died following complications from gall bladder surgery, at the age of 89 years, 8 months. It was the first time she had been hospitalized in over 40 years.
Inscription
Stella's headstone is shared with her beloved husband, Albert Henderson. Stella chose the headstone following the death of her husband in 1971.
Family Members
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