Mabel Henshen

Mabel Ida Henshen was born July 10, 1906, the daughter of William E. "Bill" and Sophia M. Reis Henshen. She passed away Friday, July 6, 2012, at Eventide Lutheran Home in Denison, Iowa, at the age of 105, just four days short of her 106 birthday.
Mabel was born in Willow Township near Charter Oak, Iowa. She attended a rural school in Willow Township and St. John Lutheran School in Charter Oak. Mabel was baptized in Christ August 19, 1906 and confirmed in the Lutheran faith June 1, 1919 at St. John Lutheran Church in Charter Oak, Iowa, where she was a lifelong member. Mabel worked hard on the family farm and could do anything there was to do in the way of farm work. Mabel and her mother, Sophia raised many chickens and setting hens to hatch the chicks. She enjoyed tending to the livestock, gardening and barn dances. When Mabel retired from the farm in 1977, she bought a home in Charter Oak. In 2004 she moved to the Eventide Lutheran Home in Denison, Iowa.
In her lifetime, Mabel witnessed many changes in her life and country. Her family was the first family in Willow Township to have electricity. When she was born, Theodore Rosevelt was president, the first record player was manufactured, the first radio broadcast was produced, the first Zeppelin flight took place, vitamins were discovered, the San Francisco earthquake occurred, a new house could be built for $3980, a pound of bacon costs 20 cents, a loaf of bread was 5 cents, ten pounds of potatoes cost 17 cents and the highest annual wage of $569 was realized by American families. In her century of life, she worked through seven wars from WWI to Afghanistan, she survived through depressions and recessions, had good times and bad times, but she maintained her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior throughout her century of life.
Mabel was preceded in death by her parents and her two brothers, Adolph and Edward and a great-niece, Amanda and a great-nephew, Mark. She is survived by nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.