Jenny Henderson was light of so many lives

Jenny (Soderquist) Henderson grew up running free in Liberty Lake, and that zest carried her through the rest of her life.

“She was spunky,” said her sister, Cheri Jensen, “She enjoyed life.”

Three years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Henderson died Aug. 14, one month short of her 44th birthday.

Liberty Lake was a much different place when Henderson was growing up. Only about 300 families lived there.

“Fields and trees were her playgrounds,” said her mother, Polly Soderquist. She spent her childhood on the lake, barefoot much of the time.

“She was a free spirit,” said Jensen, “She had room to run in early Liberty Lake.”

She hung out at Weeks Resort where newer homes now stand. The youngest of three, she learned to assert her independence at an early age. Her sisters’ friends welcomed Henderson not only as a “little sister,” but as a part of the group.

“Our mother always felt like Jenny was in safe company if she was either with Lori, my older sister, or myself,” said Jensen, “Everyone looked out for each other … I think this experience shaped the caring person that Jenny was.”

Henderson graduated from Central Valley High School in 1980. She went on to work nearly 10 years for Farmers and Merchants Bank, then for Jenisys Engineered Products until her illness prevented her from continuing.

Al Shustoff, general manager of Jenisys, said, “she was an intelligent, good-looking woman who had the personality and drive to take anything on.” She often worked 12 hours a day, driven to get the job done.

“A rare person in today’s office environment, she could talk the talk with employees or customers, multifunction and, if the situation required, dish out the necessary language in a serious or humorous fashion,” he said.

She made the most of her time at work and at play, boating, hosting parties, playing music, drinking fine wine and good beer, and playing pool or foosball.

“Whatever she did, she took seriously,” said her brother-in-law, Gary Jensen.

“She knew how to have fun,” said her oldest sister, Lori Soderquist, “She also knew how to build special relationships and keep them. She was a joy to be around.”

Henderson met her husband, Paul Henderson, in late 1990, and they married five years later in Las Vegas.

“She was not only my wife,” he said, “she was my best friend.” Henderson became stepmom to Shelby Henderson who, now 20, considered her a second mom who taught her the importance of goals and a college education.

Henderson was a lot of things to a lot of people. She was godmother to the children of her lifelong friend, Dana Solien-Cada, godmother to Jensen’s daughter, Serena, as well as a friend, adviser and confidant to fellow employees, nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

“She was my rock,” said Solien-Cada, “I’m going to miss picking up the phone and calling her for advice.”

Henderson also kept current on the music scene and always had a radio playing.

Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” was one of her favorite songs. “Often she would stop what she was doing and say, ‘I’ve got to go out and look at the moon,’ ” said Paul Henderson. She loved the moon, and fall was her favorite season. She also loved the water, spending much of her time at the lake or ocean.

Three years ago she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Initially, Henderson intuitively believed that something was wrong. Her first doctor said it was no big deal. She eventually went to a different doctor who sent her to a specialist who diagnosed her. By then, the disease had taken hold, beginning her long and courageous battle.

Perhaps her caring nature could best be understood by what she said after her diagnosis. “She said, ‘If anybody in the family should be sick, it should be me. I’m strong,’ ” said Polly Soderquist.

She was strong. She volunteered for clinical studies and researched the disease. She continued to work and to keep a positive attitude.

“How she dealt with all of this I could never comprehend,” said Jenisys’ Shustoff. “She dealt with surgery and chemo and was right back at work, as if nothing ever happened.”

She also was instrumental in helping her sisters.

Lori Soderquist had ovarian cancer but, with Henderson’s help, it was caught early enough to save her life. “When I first started having problems and was asked to take some additional tests, she let her oncologist know what I was confronting,” said Soderquist, “then she called and set an appointment for me

Jensen then went in for genetic testing for ovarian cancer, learning that she carried the marker gene. She had surgery to prevent her from developing the disease.

“An issue she would like attention brought to is the need for more to be said about ovarian cancer. It is a devastating, deadly disease if not caught in the early stage and it is not easily detected,” said Lori Soderquist, “There is no standardized test given with yearly exams, and more research is needed. Her wish was to see more advances made toward detecting and curing the disease.”

To so many, Henderson was like a harvest moon in a darkened sky. She will be greatly missed and always remembered.