William Harold Henson

Our wonderful friend, William “Bill” Harold Henson, died Saturday, October 22, 2011. He was 86 years old.

Bill was born in Fort Worth, TX, on April 23, 1925 to Anna Shockley and Johnny Henson. He went by the name of Harold until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He had no middle name at that time but the Navy insisted he must have a middle name so that the paperwork could be completed properly. The name William was decided upon, and he was known as Bill from that day on. After Bill discharged from the Navy, he was a short order cook for many years. At some point in his life, Bill was hitchhiking when a truck driver picked him up. He enjoyed that trip so much that he changed careers and became a long haul truck driver. He enjoyed traveling all over the lower 48 states.

Bill suffered very poor vision due to macular degeneration and eventually he settled in Helena so he could receive care at the VA Hospital at Ft. Harrison. He was a regular patron of the Last Chance Casino and Restaurant for several years and especially liked to play live Keno. The last year of his life he also enjoyed going to Nickel’s Casino and he had a real fondness for “Bob’s Girls.” He often mentioned the exceptional service he received from them.

Bill made many friends. He was a wonderful man who would help others any way he could. He will be missed by many and especially by his good friends, Todd Mattix, Tony Rodgers, and John Holmlund. He was happy and lived his life exactly the way he wanted to, and, in the end, he died exactly the way he planned also. He was alert to the end and suffered no pain.

“We love you, Harold.” Peace my friend.

A graveside service with military honors will be 3:00 p.m. Monday, November 7th at Montana State Veterans Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.aswfuneralhome.com