Lillie Marie Hensley
May 15, 1924 ~ February 12, 2006
Resided in:
Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville – Lillie Marie Hensley, of Kristey Lane, Hendersonville, died Sunday, February 12, 2006, at the John F. Keever Hospice Solace Center.
A native of Skyland, she was the daughter of the late Fred and Nena Penley Smith and also was preceded in death by her sister, Bernice Smith Wells, her brother, James E. Smith and a son-in-law, Tony Cummings.
Mrs. Hensley is survived by her husband, Waymon Jack Hensley; two daughters, Kaye Fortenberry and her husband Gary of Asheville, and Judy Cummings of Michigan; six grandchildren, Vicki Reding and her husband Robert, Toni Lee Petoskey and her husband Tony, Melanie Cummings, Saundra Cummings, Timothy J. Fortenberry and his wife Yelena and Paul G. Fortenberry; four great grandchildren, Robert Reding, III and his wife Jolene, Amanda Reding, Elizabeth Petoskey and Andrew Petoskey.
Services will be 2:00 pm Wednesday in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian conducted by the Rev. Jerry Young. Interment will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Gary Fortenberry, Timothy Fortenberry, Robert Reding, Jr., Ron Wells, Charles Burnette and Phil Turner.
Mrs. Hensley’s family will receive friends from 7:00 until 8:30 PM Tuesday at the funeral home on Long Shoals Road and at other times will be at the home of Kaye Fortenberry, 114 Cedar Hill Road, West Asheville.
Memorials may be made to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.
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I love you more than words can ever say and miss you just as much. You are in my heart forever, and that is where I will keep every wonderful and loving moment we have shared. Thank you for my mother whom you taught well; for taking care of me as only grandmother could; for everything you ever taught me about being loving, kind and thoughtful; showing me laughter is the best medicine; for grandma’s secrets in the kitchen and all the cooking lessons; being such a fine example of a good mother, grandmother and wife; but most important, teaching me about the Lord and the importance and value of family. When I think of you: I know pure LOVE … I see your beautiful face, your lovely smile, the twinkle in your eyes and I hear your sweet southern laugh.
Always,
Love your baby – Vicki Lynn
Mama:
Its’ been one whole year today since you went to heaven. Everyday I wonder what you are doing, how beautiful you must be and how happy and peaceful in Jesus arms you are. I miss you so much. I just wish I could touch your face one more time. You peace lily bloomed for me on my birthday in May and today too. I know God is sending me just a tiny, tiny bit of heaven from you.
I love you and miss you mama.
Kaye
Mama:
It has been two years and three months since you went to heaven. It seems to me it has been forever, but in heaven I know its only a blink of an eye to you. I know you are happy and healthy and having the time of your life forever. Your birthday and Mother’s Day were all in the same week and I miss you so much. I know you are not in that grave that we have for you and that is only a shell. It seems everyday that I can see the signs that Jesus is coming for us soon and I will see you soon. I can’t wait. I can just imagine you waiting for me and waving at me when I come across the river. I can imagine you taking me to meet my Savior and to see your mansion and see my new mansion. I see all these beautiful places we have here in Asheville then I think, that is just junk compared to what awaits me soon. The whole family misses you and will always miss you. I look at your pictures every day and it is hard for me to believe you are not here. Every year around my birthday I get a new bloom on your peace lilly. I know its a sign from you. The bloom has started and my birthday is two weeks away. It has never failed. I know its just a little blessing from above as a reminder of you. I always go and buy myself a small piece of crystal the way you always did for my birthday. But then I always want to call you and tell you what I bought and I can’t. Not being able to pick up the phone is the hardest. I miss you mama but I promise I will see you soon because Jesus is coming. I am doing fine and feel better than I did in a long time. I am singing in the choir now and I love it.
I will miss and love you forever but I will see you soon when Jesus comes!
Love
your daughter Kaye
GOD RECEIVED ANOTHER ANGEL YESTERDAY. I HOPE YOU REST IN PEACE. SAY HI TO MY DAD FOR ME. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU. FROM ONE OF YOU BABY’S. LOVE MELANIE
I said a prayer to God last night
I wished that he would hold you tight.
For I was afraid you would be alone.
On your way to your final resting home.
Then I thought my dad and other loved ones are there.
And that seemed to calm my fear.
I know that you will be glad.
To know that I am not sad.
For I know you are in a better place.
And have the love of God’s good grace.
I will still miss you in my heart,
Even though we will not be far apart.
So I will say goodbye to thee,
and hope to see you when it’s meant to be.
Love and miss you grandma
Saundra
Dear Mama:
You will never ever know how much I miss you. Every single day! Every morning I wake up and the first thing I think of is I wonder what mama is doing today in heaven! I know your days are full of happiness and sunshine and light which is the light of Christ that lights the city. You felt so bad in this world, much worse than we realized. But we are thankful that you are now with Jesus and all your friends and loved ones. I think of what you and Bernice and Jim must be talking about. I think of how you must be talking and laughing with Tony and other friends and relatives who have gone on to be with the Lord.
Every day I think of something I wish I could share with you. Sometimes a new recipe or just a chat on the telephone. I miss you so. Mama I will see you some day and I think sooner than later. I think Jesus will come back for us soon. I pray that he will wait a little longer like the song says, because we still have so many loved ones out of the fold.
I know now that you don’t worry about us but we all miss you every single day. I envy you that you are there and in perfect peace. I wonder about the every-day things like what are you doing and what did you have for dinner today! Whatever it is I know it is delicious and will never bother your system again. Gary says that he loves you and misses you so much and no-one could ever and will ever be able to make your meatloaf and he misses it so. I am keeping up the tradition of having holiday meals that you loved so well. I will always do that as long as my health allows. I am so thankful and blessed that we got to have Thanksgiving together. You knew that was my favorite holiday. I can’t wait to get there and first of all see my Lord and then hug and kiss you as I am sure you have hugged and kissed your own mama.
We are all going on the best we can and trying to be as normal as we can. Judy is fine and is at so much peace! She is taking care of herself too and will see you someday. We speak of you every single day. Daddy is doing fine and doing his best to do things as normal as he can. Gary and I will watch out and take care of him. He went to church with us on Easter Sunday and was really blessed. Mama, I made you a promise I would take care of my health and I am and I went and had all the tests that I promised you I would go and have and they have some solutions for some of the problems. I feel much better physically, but I can’t begin to tell you how much I miss you. I know that Ms. Scarlet misses you too because I see her look for you every time daddy comes over. But I bet you have made friends with the Lions and the Lambs by now!
The Lord answered my prayer and I was with you when you passed on to glory and I know that you could hear my voice. It was such a sweet peace and I still to this day wonder what the first thing that you saw was. I think of the every-day things. Your life will never be ordinary again and you will always and forever be in peace without pain or sickness or sorrow. I am sure you have made many new friends as well as renewed old friendships and are having the time of your life FOREVER!
Mama I love you so much and miss you and I will see you soon in heaven some day.
Love,
your daughter Kaye Lynn
When I get where I’m going
And I see my maker’s face
I’ll stand forever in the light
Of his amazing grace
When I get where I’m going
There’ll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I’m going…
*i love you and miss you Great Grandma!*
~Elizabeth
May the sweet peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ caress you at this time. What a joy to know that you will see your beloved wife, mother, and grandmother again someday because of Him. God bless.
Dear Mama
Well its the week before Christmas and I miss you as much now as I did the day you left us.
I know you are having a great time in heaven. You have a new resident today. Aunt Elsie left us and went to heaven today. There are more people with you than with us here! Uncle Paul left two years ago. Seems everybody is leaving. I know it won’t be long til Jesus comes. I sure do think about it alot. I can’t wait to see you again! First I want to see my SAvior who died for me and then I want to to take your hand and have you show me around heaven! I want you to show me your mansion and then take me to visit Aunt Berneice and Uncle Paul, uncle Hall, Uncle Way, uncle Jim, gramas and grandpas that I barely remember. I can’t even imagine what it is going to be like! I can’t imagine what it will be like to never know a tear and never have to worry again.
Merry Christmas mama. I miss you. Please tell everyone hello and give them all hugs for me.
your daughter
Kaye Lynn
Mama:
Little did I know that when I wrote that note on December 17, 2009 that the Lord would take another from the family less than one week later. The Lord saw fit to take Paul from us on December 23, 2009. I know how much you loved Paul and all your grandchildren. I don’t know why God chose to take Paul now. All the prayers prayed for him over the years. There has to be an answer. I pray God give me some peace in the coming days and that somehow I can know that he is with you talking and laughing with that silly laugh of his that I loved to hear and that he is healthy and whole again. Nothing has ever hurt me this bad in my life as losing my child. At times I wish you had been here so you could hug me and tell me it would be ok but I am glad you were not as this would have hurt you too bad. Mama it seems since you left, nothing has ever been or ever will be the same again and the family is just slowly dwindling. I miss you and I love you and I will be glad when Jesus comes back as I am tired of all the pain and sorrow.
I love you mama.
Kaye
Hey Mama: Happy belated birthday in heaven and Happy Mother’s Day coming. You have daddy to celebrate your birthday and holidays with this year. It has been a hard couple of years. I love you and miss you.
Kaye
When I realize it’s been 11 years since I last held your hand, hugged your neck, heard your sweet laughter and voice it does not seem possible. Time does not heal this loss, it only means it is just all the longer I’ve been without you. I miss you so very much Grandma… Forever in my heart. Love your baby, Vicki Lynn