Obit – Mr. Herman Royster Henry, Jr.

A lifelong Cages Bend farmer of the Riddleton Community, departed this life on Monday morning February 17, 2025 and was pronounced deceased at the age of 78 at 11:22 a.m. at the Highpoint Health – Riverview Regional Medical Center Emergency Room in Carthage after apparently suffering a medical emergency while driving at 306 Dixon Springs Highway in the Tanglewood Community. Sheriff Steve Hopper, also a Paramedic who happened on the accident scene, radioed for assistance at 10:47 a.m. and performed C.P.R. until the ambulance arrived.

Funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home were conducted Saturday afternoon February 22nd at 1 p.m. Jack McCall, George McDonald, and Mr. Henry’s son, Jon delivered eulogies. Musical presence was by Mr. Henry’s granddaughter, Kristian Henry and Janice and Gary Gregory and Jackie Thomas. Interment followed beside his wife, Elaine and near his parents at the Cage Cemetery on the family farm in Cages Bend.

Herman Royster Henry Jr. was born in Nashville on September 20, 1946 and was reared and spent his entire life on the family farm the son of the late Herman Royster Henry Sr. who died March 28, 1962 at the age of 82 and Lizzie Mae Taylor Henry who died September 30. 1974 at the age of 67.

Mr. Henry was a member of the 1965 graduating class at Smith County High School where he majored in agriculture, a class he took all four years under the late Nate Bastian and was an ag class officer his junior and senior year, and also majored in mathematics. The senior year in Ag he was a member of the soil judging team, livestock judging team, and parliamentary procedure team.

The statement made of him his senior year in the ’65 annual was that he was; “straightforward, truthful and naïve.”  Herman was very trusting and was the kind of a student if you told him a rooster could pull a freight train, he would start looking for a log chain.

He was looking forward with great anticipation to his class of ’65, 60-year class reunion which would have been held in May 2025.

Shortly following graduation, he was awarded the American Farmer Degree and was active in the Young Farmers and Homemakers organization through the Smith County Farm Bureau. He served as the State Committee President in 1975.

He was a member of the resolutions committee and he stated two highlights in his life was a trade mission to Cuba as a representative of the tobacco industry and receiving several accolades for being an expert welder, a class in which he excelled in high school.

He was united in marriage at the First Baptist Church in Nashville on November 26, 1980 to Lawrenceburg native, the former Betty Elaine Adair.  

He was active in all of the Henry and Stacey children’s youth programs. He coached the Orioles Team in the Smith County Babe Ruth league while they were playing baseball in their youth.

He served on the Smith County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for nearly forty years and served as the Board President in 2000 and for thirteen years from 1998 through 2007 was a member of the Executive Board.

He also served on the Smith Farmers Co-op Board of Directors, the Soil Conservation Board and the Smith County Livestock Board.

He was a charter member of the Riddleton Volunteer Fire Department and at the time of his death, because of his own decision, served as an honorary member.

For almost sixty years he was a member of the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. Herman taught the Adult Sunday School class for over twenty-five years at Chapel Hill. For the last few years, he and Elaine attended the Carthage United Methodist Church. Herman was a faithful attendee of the Whosoever Will Men’s Bible Class in Hartsville taught by Jack McCall, which meets every Sunday morning.

One of Herman’s favorite themes in life was; “What you take with you, is what you give away to others.” 

As a farmer he operated a dairy, raised tobacco and row crops. One of his primary works was raising hogs, which some children showed in the 4-H club shows and at fairs.  

In 2021 he was the recipient of the District 4 Distinguished Award from the Tennessee Farm Bureau.

Surviving are his four loving children, Lee Ann Henry, Jon Henry and wife Renee all of the Riddleton Community, Lisa Henry Buschman and husband David of Hempstead, Texas, Daniel Henry and wife Amanda of Lebanon; three step-children whom he reared as his own, Sabrina Stacey Tarr of Murfreesboro, TN, David Stacey and wife Beverly of Brentwood, Ben Stacey and wife Stacy of Mount Juliet; fifteen grandchildren, Hali Woodard, Hunter Woodard and wife Taylor, Drew Inman, Kristian Henry and husband Mike Frisse, Jonathan Henry Jr. an wife Jewel, John Taylor Stafford and wife Darian, Erin Constable and husband Daniel, Jessica Kessler and husband Jacob, Clay McElhannon, Sarah Maggart, Samantha Maggart, Hugh Stacey IV, Ella Stacey, Blake Stacey, and Jake Stacey; six great-grandchildren.

The Henry family requests memorials to be made to the Riddleton Fire Department.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE