Carter Hensley

Oct. 5, 2008

Carter Hensley, 90, of Tusculum Boulevard in Greeneville, died Sunday at his home.

Mr. Hensley retired in 1984 as a Facility Safety Inspector of Greene Valley Developmental Center, a division of what was then known as the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, now Tennessee Mental Retardation Services.

He was a member of Reformation Lutheran Church, where he served as secretary of the Fellowship Class for a number of years, served on the church council and the Property Committee, and ushered for many years.

He was a veteran of World War II, and had served in the Pacific Theater of the war.

Mr. Hensley was a member of Post 1990, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Greeneville Moose Lodge No. 692.

A Mason, he was a member of Greeneville Lodge No. 3, F&AM, the Greene County Shrine Club and Jericho Shrine Temple. He was a life member of the Greeneville Optimist Club.

He was a volunteer firefighter with the Greeneville Fire Department for 25 years, and was a volunteer at the Greeneville-Greene County Community Ministries Food Bank for 20 years.

Survivors include his wife of 69 years: Elsie Hensley; a son and daughter-in-law: Stanley and Juanita Hensley; two daughters and sons-in-law: Phyllis and Buddy Kreeger, and Hope and Gary Ball; two grandchildren: Heather Jones and Kip Kreeger; a great-granddaughter: McKenzie Jones; a half-brother and his spouse: Clyde and Nadine Ottinger; his half-sisters and a brother-in-law: Mable Rader, Ila Ruth Lafollette, and Wilma and Ted Shelton; his sisters-in-law: Barbara Ottinger, Luella Hensley, and Betty Ottinger; and two special children in his life: Harly Laws and Mason Laws, who "loved him dearly and called him 'Pa Paw Carter,' " the family said.

He was a son of the late Leroy and Zula Ottinger Hensley and was preceded in death by a brother, Ted Hensley; a sister, Valerie Balch; two half-brothers, Junior Ottinger and Linton Ottinger; and a half-sister, Mary Sheperd.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Kiser Funeral Home.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Reformation Lutheran Church. Pastor Rick Ohsiek will officiate.

Interment will follow in GreeneLawn Memory Gardens.

The Greeneville-Greene County Color Guard will conduct a military graveside service.

Pallbearers will be Kip Kreeger, Teddy Bowers, Rick Lawrence, Russell Waddell, J. C. Jones, Ron Bergquist and Eric Etherton.

Honorary pallbearers will be Harold Hartman, Tom Johnson, members of the Fellowship Class and friends at Reformation Lutheran Church, and Dr. John Shaw and staff.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Reformation Lutheran Church Building Fund.

Condolences may be sent to the Hensley family online at loc7439@sci-us.com.