Loved and admired Ella Mae Henderson was born April 25, 1922 in Fort Valley, Georgia. Her parents, Robert Askin and Mary Huguely, both from Georgia were blessed with sixteen children during their marriage, Ella Mae being the youngest.

Ella Mae spent most of her childhood and upbringing in Macon, Georgia where many claim “the spirit of Soul lives”. She carried that spirit with her throughout her life. You could see it in her southern hospitality and the special way she extended it to her family and wide circle of friends or how she carried Macon’s musical history, cuisine, and cultural heritage with her everywhere she went.

After completing her high school education she met and married Andrew R. Henderson, also of Georgia. Ella Mae and Andrew found themselves starting their lives together at a turbulent time in history. The country was just exiting out of the Great Depression but was now being pulled into the World War II conflict. The 1940’s saw a boom of opportunity as many factories in the North were re-tooled to produce machinery for the war. The need for additional workers in these factories brought waves of African-Americans from the south to northern cities like Detroit. Ella Mae and her husband Andrew joined 1.4 million African-American southerners in the 1940’s who moved North or West in hopes of increased opportunity and economic stability.

Elle Mae was in perpetual motion and had a zest for life. If she wasn’t hopping on a train or bus to visit Mobile Alabama, one of her favorite destinations, you could find her playing Pokeno, a game combining Poker and Keno. Playing the penny machines was a relaxing pastime for her and one of her favorite casinos was in Biloxi Mississippi, a place she frequented often! She was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ferndale, Michigan and for a brief period of time extended her knowledge of the Southern cooking tradition to Stouffer’s, a restaurant found on eight mile road specializing in soul food. Later on in life Ella Mae provided Live-in Home Care for those in need and believe it or not also developed natural home remedies she then sold to neighbors who were seeking relief from arthritis ailments. No one would ever consider Ella Mae a homebody.

On Sunday, September 9, 2018 Ms. Ella Mae Henderson departed from this life. Left to mourn her passing but also to cherish her memories are her children Andrew Henderson Jr.; Barbara E. Dillard; Elaine Henderson as well as Larry Henderson and Delores Pope who preceded her in death; nine grandchildren; twenty-five great grandchildren; fifteen great-great grandchildren and a host of extended family members and longtime friends.

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