┌── William B. Henshaw
                                                   │    1831-1898 
                     ┌── George Memmel Henshaw ────┤
                     │    1867-1895                │
                     │                             └── Catherine Young
                     │                                  1842-1926 
Lester C. Henshaw ───┤
B: 1893              │                             ┌── Silas Henry Bingham
D: 1990              │                             │
                     └── Louise Florence Bingham ──┤
                          1870-1957                │
                                                   └── Marguerite Ellen Gardner
M: Mary Edna Abel
   ├── George Callistus Henshaw (1916-2008) 1,2,3,4
   ├── Mary Catherine Henshaw (1918-2010) 1,2,3,4
   ├── Edna Louise Henshaw (1919-2014) 2,3,4,5
   ├── Joseph Lester Henshaw (1920-2012) 1,2,3,5,6
   ├── William Harold Henshaw (1922-2000) 1,2,3,5
   ├── Mildred Marie Henshaw (1924-2001) 1,2,3,5
   ├── Helen Theresa Henshaw (1926-) 1,2,3,5
   ├── Dorothy Ann Henshaw (1928-) 1,2,3,5
   └── Margaret Jane Henshaw (1929-) 1,2,3,5

Lester C. Henshaw     [ID 05398]

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Lester C. Henshaw^1,2,7,8,9 [George Celestine Henshaw^1,2,10].

Born Feb 14 1893, Henshaw, Union County, Kentucky.^{1,2,3,4,5,7,8,10,11}  

His mother wanted to name him Lester, but at that time the Catholic Church required a child to be baptized with a saint's name, so he was formally named George Celestine.  But his mother and everyone else always called him Lester.¹²  

He married Mary Edna Abel^1,2 [Edna Abell^13,14], Sep 28 1915^1,2, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky^1,2.  Mary, daughter of Callistus Abel & Edna Louise Burshears^1,2,3,4,5,7 [Cal Abell & Catherine E. Beshears^7,13,14], was born Jan 18 1894^1,2,3,4,5,7, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky^1,2,3,4,5,7.  

On Jun 5 1917 George Celestine Henshaw, age 24, registered for the World War I draft in Union County, Kentucky.  He declared he was born Feb 14 1893 in Henshaw, Union County, Kentucky, and was then residing in Morganfield, Kentucky, a self-employed farmer; no previous military experience.  He declared he was married, with dependent mother, wife and child.  He claimed an exemption due "to support mother wife + child".  He was recorded as medium height, medium build, blue eyes, light hair.¹⁰  

Lester and family were shown in the 1920 census (Mar 29 1920), Union County, Kentucky:⁴

Lester and family were shown in the 1930 census (May 1 1930), Union County, Kentucky:³

Lester and family were shown in the 1940 census (Apr 16 1940), Union County, Kentucky:⁵

To their grandchildren Lester was known as "Gon Gon" and Mary Edna was called "Gonnie", names that stuck after firstborn grandchild Mary Lou Henshaw was unable to pronounce anything else (in fact most of Union County knew who were Gon Gon and Gonnie).¹²  

Everyone who knew Lester would say that he was a living saint.¹²  During the depression Lester and Mary Edna would take in stragglers that would hitch rides on the train.  They were allowed to sleep in the barn, if they chose to, and they were always supplied with a meal by Gonnie (they lived in the little community of Grove Center, just three miles up the road from Henshaw, and the railroad ran just a short distance from the house).  They always made sure that they had enough for those less fortunate.¹²  

Mary died Mar 15 1954, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky; buried Saint Ambrose Cemetery, Henshaw, Union County, Kentucky.^1,7  

Lester C. Henshaw died Apr 5 1990, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky; buried Saint Ambrose Cemetery, Henshaw, Union County, Kentucky.^1,2,7,8,16  

Lester's obituary was published in the "Courier-Journal Louisville" (Louisville, Kentucky) on Saturday, April 7, 1990:¹⁶

MORGANFIELD Lester Henshaw, 97, died here Thursday.  Funeral, 11 a.m. Saturday, St. Ambrose Catholic Church near Morganfield.  Visitation is at Whitsell Funeral Home.

Photo: Lester C. Henshaw & Mary Edna Abel gravestone Saint Ambrose Cemetery ⁷

Social Security information for Lester C. Henshaw: 406-30-8886

Sources

1. Henshaw history and genealogy manuscript, original by Holmes Hart Henshaw, 1930; updated in 1995 by Donald Craig Henshaw and others.
2. Contribution from Marilyn Henshaw Woodhall.
3. 1930 census, Raleigh Magisterial District, Union County, Kentucky; roll T626-779, ED 5, page 12A, line #32, dwelling #248, family #248.
4. 1920 census, Magisterial District 1, Union County, Kentucky; roll T625-600, ED 120, page 11B, line #75, dwelling #139, family #139.
5. 1940 census, Raleigh Magisterial District, Union County, Kentucky; roll T627-1359, ED 113-10, page 7B, line #45, household #128.
6. Kentucky, Birth Index, 1911-1999; http://www.ancestry.com.
7. http://www.findagrave.com.
8. "Social Security Death Index" (as it is commonly called), derived from the Social Security Administration "Death Master File". See: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson10.htm
9. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Obituaries, 1990-1998.
10. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918; http://www.ancestry.com.
11. 1910 census, Morganfield Magisterial District, Union County, Kentucky; roll T624-504, ED 112, page 1A, line #25, dwelling #5, family #5.
12. Contribution from Emily Jo (Thomas) Lyon.
13. 1900 census, Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky; roll T623-553, ED 75, page 19A, line #19, dwelling #336, family #341.
14. 1910 census, Magisterial District 2, Union County, Kentucky; roll T624-504, ED 115, page 66B, line #87, dwelling #144, family #144.
15. 1940 census, Raleigh Magisterial District, Union County, Kentucky; roll T627-1359, ED 113-10, page 7B, line #54, household #129.
16. "The Courier-Journal Louisville", April 7, 1990, pg 13A;
    (UMI Obituaries 1990-1997. Orem, UT: Ancestry Incorporated, 1998).

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