Henry Clyde Henley

Henry Clyde Henley April 27, 1927 – February 5, 2015 Henry Clyde Henley, 87, of Wilson passed away quietly in his sleep Thursday morning. A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Aenon Baptist Church, 7503 Town Creek Road, Elm City. The Rev. Ken Cobb will officiate. Clyde was born in Nashville. He left school after the 6th grade to help his parents support his family by working in the fields. He joined the Navy during the Korean War and volunteered for experimental aviation endurance testing. When he left the service he moved to California where he met his wife, Jeanne. After a six week courtship they married and settled in Glendale, California. In 1955, on the day before Easter, the pastor of the little church across the street stopped by to admire Clyde and Jeanne’s flower garden. The pastor ended up leading them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Clyde worked for the postal service in Glendale and later transferred to Susanville, California. During this time he served as a lay pastor of several small churches. After retirement from the Post Office he was ordained and became the full-time pastor of Lakeside Community Church in Eagle Lake, California. A short time after his wife Jeanne passed away in 2005, Clyde moved back to Wilson. There he served as associate pastor of Aenon Baptist Church. Clyde is survived by his daughters, Christine Poppelreiter and husband, Nick of Sacramento, California and Marsha J. Alexander and husband, Walter of Manteca, California; his son, James C. Henley and wife, Doris of Wilson; five grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and nine great-great grandchildren; also survived by his sister, Ursula Ingersoll of Los Angelos, California and his brothers, William “Bill” Henley of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Henry Hank Henley, Jr. of Old Station, California. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Elizabeth Henley and his sister, Bet Finn. In lieu of flowers donations may be directed to the Aenon Baptist Church, 7503 Town Creek Road, Elm City, NC 27822. Condolences may be directed to www.joyners.net.