Lillian Hensley
June 21, 1927 — November 5, 2016
Lillian Annie (Modlin) Hensley, a resident of the Iowa Masonic Health Facilities in Bettendorf, passed away on November 5, 2016. She was 89 years of age.
Funeral services celebrating her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley, Iowa. Burial will be in Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8th at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Lillian was born on June 21, 1927, to Thomas A. Modlin and Annie (Churches) Modlin in Iona, Minnesota. She was one of nine siblings. The family moved to Nebraska, where Lillian grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Herman High School in Herman, Nebraska. She lived for a time in Omaha and did clerical work. She married Harry Robert Hensley on December 3, 1949, in Scribner, Nebraska.
Harry and Lillian spent their honeymoon in Chicago. On their way back to Nebraska, they happened to stop in the Quad-Cities, where they heard that Alcoa was hiring young men. Lillian’s husband Harry applied for a job, was hired, and worked for Alcoa for the following 37 years. Within a few years of settling in the Quad-Cities, Harry and Lillian had saved enough money to buy a farmhouse with 3 acres of land in Pleasant Valley on the Old Highway 67 (now known as Valley Drive). They had four children, worked hard, and were able to achieve their dream of sending their kids to college.
Lillian was employed at Bettendorf Glass & Mirror Company for 15 years until the company was purchased by Harmon Glass Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1982. She continued to work for Harmon Glass until 1986. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley, a member of the Quad-Cities Plus 60 Club, and a member of the Alcoa Retirees Club.
Everyone who met Lillian immediately liked her. She was a kind, generous woman, but with a great sense of humor. She was smart and witty and very well-read. We all remember Mom with a book in her hands or doing her word-search puzzles or her crossword puzzles. She was a wonderful gardener. Her flower gardens were amazing to behold. She and her husband Harry managed to convert their property in Pleasant Valley into a wonderful place for their children to grow, with lots of new trees and a one-acre vegetable garden that yielded delicious tomatoes and other vegetables all summer long. Lillian’s other hobbies included embroidery, antique collecting, attending garage sales, refinishing furniture, genealogy, and travel. She was an amazing cook.
Most of all, Lillian was devoted to her children and family. She was our strongest champion and advocate. She realized early on the importance of education, and she went back to work so that she could afford to send us to college. She often went without the luxuries in life so that she could give more to her kids. She made us laugh with her wonderful sense of humor.
Lillian is survived by her four children, which includes Cecily Gronewold and her husband Mark, of Crown Point, Indiana, Dr. Valerie Schwob of Bettendorf, Iowa, David Hensley of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Melissa Clark of Ankeny, Iowa. Grandchildren include Jay Gerety and his wife Nellie of Ankeny, Iowa, Jackie Kennis of Ogden, Iowa, Kerry Hensley of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kristine (Hensley) Ruiz and her husband Mario Ruiz of St. Cloud, Minnesota, and John Hensley of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Great-grandchildren include Michael, Lydia, and Noah Gerety of Ankeny, Iowa, and Matteo Ruiz of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Lillian is also survived by one sister, Marge Rasmussen of Johnson, Nebraska, numerous nieces and nephews, a sister-in-law, Ann Hensley of St. Louis, Missouri and a brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Dorothy Novotny of Oakland, Nebraska.
Lillian was preceded in death by her parents, her 5 brothers (Herbert, Ronald, Lonsdale, Clarence, and Ervin Modlin), and 2 sisters (Alvina Modlin Kjeldgaard and Lorraine Modlin Piper).
We’d like to thank the staff at the Iowa Masonic Health Facilities for their excellent care. A special thanks to Deb, Yvonne, Joy, Connie, Peggy, Laura, Dana, Terry, Kelli, Mel, Angie, Rebecca, and Mary, the cookie lady. You are the unsung heroes. There are so many others at Masonic that should be included in this list. Also, thank you to the hospice nurses for providing end-of-life care to our mother, including Jenny and Tory.