Penny Ellen Henderson

Penny Ellen Henderson (nee Holland), born January 21, 1943, died at home surrounded by loved ones on September 12, 2018. 

Penny, daughter of James Valentine Holland, Jr. and Lois Holland (Horton), was born into a loving family in St. Louis, Missouri.  Penny’s extended family included her paternal grandparents James Valentine Holland and Mary Elizabeth Holland (O’Neill), her maternal grandparents Horace Asa Horton and Mary Hallie Horton (Mercer), her Aunts Mary Ray and Bethel, her uncle Charles, and her cousin Becky. 

Her love of the outdoors and adventurous spirit were clear early; childhood pictures of Penny high in the boughs of a tree are too numerous to count.  Girl scouting was one of her great loves.  She called her annual time at Camp Cedarledge “the best two weeks of every summer”.  She was so involved in scouting that she was even able to attend both the National Scout Jamboree and the International Senior Roundup – landmark events in her life.  Her parents supported her adventurous spirit and all her creative pursuits, providing a wide range of experiences such as regular trips to a dude ranch in the Ozarks, a cross-country trip to Mexico, theater outings, and the opportunity to see Eleanor Roosevelt speak.  Penny also loved to dance and sing, participating in church choir and many school musicals, including starring in ‘Destry Rides Again’ in college.  Her lifelong passion for writing was also evident early on; she was editor of her high school newspaper and entered a college journalism program.  In 1964, while lifeguarding at the local Ramada Inn, Penny met a young man travelling on business.  He asked her for a tennis date, and after a whirlwind romance they were married.  Penny and John moved east to Maryland in 1968, where they soon joined the Mt. Oak United Methodist Church fellowship.  Penny and John enjoyed 54 years of devoted marriage, raising their two children Amy and Rob, and having an outsized impact on numerous other children over the years.  Their house – and Penny’s cookie jar – were always open to all the neighborhood children in Pointer Ridge, and Penny provided far more than cookies in her kitchen over the years.  In 1983 they moved to Davidsonville, Maryland, where Penny developed a thriving landscape design business.  She was also active in the Annapolis farmer’s market, where she sold plants, flower arrangements, and baked goods so famous they sold out minutes after market opening.  Penny continued to write throughout her life, and was active in several writers groups.  Her published works include bible studies, poetry, children’s fiction, and a family history.   

Penny is survived by her loving husband John, her children Amy (Yvonne) and Rob (Kelly), and her grandchildren Brad, Alli, Andrew, and Holland.

Family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 from 6pm to 8pm at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 NW Crain Hwy. (Rt 3 South), Bowie, MD. Funeral services will be held at Mt. Oak United Methodist Church, 14110 Mount Oak Rd, Mitchellville, MD on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 2:00pm. Interment, Mount Oak Church Cemetery.