Carolyn Mae (McPherson) Henderson

Carolyn May (McPherson) Henderson of Cottonwood, AZ, passed away on May 15, 2026, due to complications of the lung and heart, a heart full from 85 years of a beautiful life.

Carolyn was born in Denver, CO, on January 10, 1941, to Dorothy (Clemens) McPherson and Alvin Blair McPherson. She graduated from East High School in Denver, CO, in 1958. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where she majored in occupational therapy and met her future husband, Glen Henderson. They were married on April 21, 1962, in Aurora, CO, after which Carolyn left Colorado State to be with Glen.

In their early years of marriage, they moved to many national parks, following Glen’s career as a park ranger, living in such places as Timpanogos Cave, Saguaro National Park, Yellowstone, and Crater Lake, to name a few. Carolyn and Glen moved to the Verde Valley in 1973, after Glen became the superintendent at Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle. During that time, Carolyn worked at Clarkdale Elementary as a teacher’s aide for several years, sold real estate, and ended her career working in materials management at Marcus J. Lawrence Medical Center. Her career, like her life, was spent in dedication to the service of others.

Carolyn loved her family and their home in Cottonwood voraciously. She held the White Mountains of Arizona dear to her heart and enjoyed spending days fishing with family in Arizona’s grandeur.

Upon their retirements in 2002, Carolyn and Glen built a cabin in Alpine, AZ, to spend their summers. When Glen became ill with multiple sclerosis, Carolyn became his full-time caregiver.

She is remembered by her family as a caring mother and wife, a lover of crafts (quilting, crocheting, and sewing), and an enthusiastic watcher of the hummingbirds and quail in her backyard.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Hal McPherson, and her husband, Glen.

She is survived by her brother Timothy (Zelma) McPherson of Erie, CO; daughter, Lori Henderson, and granddaughter, Melissa Merril of Cottonwood, AZ; son, Greg (Traci) Henderson of Chandler, AZ; and grandson Tyler Henderson of Mesa, AZ; daughter Vicki (Craig) Henderson, of Iowa City, IA; and granddaughters Blair Henderson of Chicago, IL, Greer Henderson (Cyrus) Salazar of Galesburg, IL, and Greta Henderson of Iowa City, IA.

A private celebration of life will be held by the family at a later date.

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