Annie Mae Taylor began her journey of life in a beautiful place, Speedwell, North Carolina, on October 27, 1919. She had a twin sister, Bessie Fay and their parents were Hansel and Fay Taylor. God welcomed her home from a beautiful place, Oregon, on August 18, 2014. She was 94.
She went to school in many different places in North, Carolina because they moved around a lot. She loved school and learning and enjoyed playing basketball on the school teams. She loved swimming in the rivers with her family and friends. She loved going to church where she was saved as a teenager and there she met a young man named Glenn Henson. They fell in love and married on September 20, 1937. Glenn worked in the paper mill and farmed while Annie Mae was a homemaker and raised and canned most of their food. Soon the children started coming. She and Glenn loved the Lord and wanted others to know Him too. Glenn felt the Lord calling him to preach, so they bought tents and had Old Time Revival Meetings. It was hard work. By this time, they had seven children, five girls and 2 boys.
In 1950 they sold most everything they owned and went to Billings, Montana, where they helped build a church. They also pastored a church in Ollie, Montana and one in North Dakota where it was so cold in the winter. In 1953, they moved to the town of Boring, Oregon, where they loved to live. They built a church there called The Little Brown Church. They moved to Canby for a few years, but returned to Boring where Glenn pastored the Brooks Road Church. They started Door to Door Mission visiting elderly people, shut-ins, people in hospitals and in nursing homes. They traveled doing revivals in many places. Beside many states, Annie Mae visited Israel, Egypt, Holland, New Zealand and Hawaii. Her wish was to be a teacher when she was young, but was not able to go to school. She loved teaching her own children, Sunday School Classes, Bible Clubs for children and enjoyed playing the piano. She loved God and was a great woman of prayer and loved reading her Bible, reading it through 15 times. With a faithful heart, she served the Lord and was content with wherever she lived and with whatever she had.
Surviving are Annie’s children; Juanita and husband Ralph, Rhoda and husband Mel, Sara and husband Cliff, Donald, Freeda and husband Harry, Carol and husband Ken and Kay Allen and wife Rhonda; 13 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren.
Her joy was her family and it was a wonderful privilege for us to call her our mom. She loved her family and served them with a gentle and kind spirit, passing important values down to all of them. Her favorite Bible verse was Proverbs 3: 5-6, and she lived by it. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Glenn and Annie Mae gave their family a wonderful Spiritual legacy.
She was kind to others and was blessed with many friends wherever she lived. She would always stop what she was doing and visit with anyone that came to her house. She made time for everyone.
Her hobbies were collecting friends, crocheting, knitting, quilting, sewing and raising flowers. She loved telling her stories and she would gladly listen to other folks stories. She wrote two books, one about her years growing up and one about she and Glenn’s years of serving the Lord.
Annie’s husband Glenn went to be with the Lord in 1998 and a son, Donald, in 2013. She lost a granddaughter as a baby and two son-in-laws, Ed and Ralph. She trusted God and showed strength and courage during the difficult times in her life.
Annie Mae was a member of The Lighthouse Church in Gresham. Thanks to Pastors Bill Skogan and Bruce Cate for all your help. She lived at The Meadows Courtyard Assisted Living in Oregon City for several years and our family is grateful for the caring staff and all their wonderful help. Annie Mae attended church services there and we thank Leroy and Judy Wilson and Dominick Mufale for making that possible for her. Hospice was a blessing, being there for her and our family and we thank them. Thanks to all the family members that loved and helped her so much. To her friends we say “Thank you” too.
We’ll miss her so much, but she will live on in our hearts. She is rejoicing in the presence of Her Lord and as He is welcoming her into the Courts of Heaven we can hear Him saying, “WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
MOTHER WAS - OUR MENTOR, OUR MODEL AND OUR MOM.
~ Written by the Henson family ~