Deem's History of Butler County Missouri by David Bruce Deem, Probate Judge, Butler County, MO THOMAS M. HENSON The late Thomas M. Henson was one of Butler county's most picturesque characters, an active figure in public life and a man of exceptional vitality from the time of his arrival in the county on November 9, 1898 until his death on January 17, 1937. Thomas Henson was the youngest son of Mr. And Mrs. Lazarus Henson and was born in Monroe county, Tennessee on November 22, 1846. One of his earliest recollections of his boyhood days occurred when he was but six years of age and the experience encountered resulted in total abstainance from intoxicating liquors throughout his lifetime. When an uncle was a candidate for sheriff of Monroe county Tennessee in 1852 he was asked to take a taste of a beverage known as "stew" which rendered him intoxicated in a short time. He went to his home and his mother assured him he would have to have a whipping for his actions. He asked her to refrain and promised to never taste any more liquor as long as he lived. In an interview a few years ago, Mr. Henson said "Mother and I shook hands on that promise which I have kept all my life." Lazarus Henson and his wife were proud of their family of three girls and four boys. Thomas was the youngest of the seven children. He was born on a farm and resided on a farm most of his life. His father fought in the war of 1812 and died when Thomas was still a boy leaving the task of rearing a family to his wife who handled the joy remarkably well. Thomas stayed at home until he was 21 years of age when he went to Marion county, Tennessee where he grubbed sprouts for 60 cents a day, split rails and finally accumulated enough money to buy 320 acres of farm land near Jasper, Tennessee. Thomas Henson and Miss Nancy Jane Raulston were married in Marion county, Tennessee on December 1, 1875. Of this union, eight sons were born before Mr. And Mrs. Henson moved to Butler county on November 9, 1898. Mr. Henson wanted to buy more land to divide among his sons but Tennessee land prices at that time were prohibitive and the family decided to move to Missouri. The Hensons first came to Poplar Bluff and then moved to farm land in the Cane Creek district. Mr. Henson, a life long Republican, lived through the administration of Abraham Lincoln. Many of his earlier friends, especially those in Tennessee, talked unkindly about the man who became known in history as the Great Emancipator. A few years ago Mr. Henson said, "The folks back there did not realize what a great man Abraham Lincoln was and it seems like a man has to die before he is appreciated no matter how great he might be or what he might have done for his country." In Mr. Henson's earlier life there was no printed ballots. Voters wrote down their choice for office on a piece of paper and submitted it on election day. Schools were scarce then, too, the only school Mr. Henson having attended was a subscription school. One dollar per month for each pupil was the charge for attending the subscription schools which, Mr. Henson said, were Blabb schools because all the children studied out loud. Mr. Henson became a great reader, especially after his retirement from the farm when he moved to Poplar Bluff in 1919. He read the New Testament twice through in 1935 and devoted much of his time in his declining years to improving his mind by study, chiefly the Bible. When his 90th birthday was celebrated Mr. Henson was host to friends and relatives from several states, some of them coming from Tennessee and Georgia. He had planned the celebration for several years. Mr. Henson died two months later on January 17, 1937 from pneumonia. With a very limited education himself, Mr. Henson saw to it that his eight sons were given every opportunity for higher education. The eight sons born to Mr. And Mrs. Thomas Henson were L. N. Henson, J. L. Henson, R. A. Henson, Walter Henson, D. O. Henson, Matt W. Henson and two other sons who died in infancy. L. M. Henson was born December 18, 1876 and died September 27, 1937. He was circuit clerk of Butler county from 1902 until 1906 and served as a delegate to the Missouri Constitutional Convention. He was admitted to the bar in 1904 and founded the Henson Law office in the Duncan building in January of 1907. This is the oldest law firm in Southeast Missouri operating under the same name and in the same location for more than 33 years. L. M. Henson had five children, Ruby who died in infancy, Thomas H. Henson, attorney in the legal department of the Missouri Liquor Control bureau, Ted M. Henson, practicing attorney and former city attorney of Poplar Bluff and former prosecuting attorney of Butler county and Mrs. T. H. Copeland and Mrs. J. C. Larkin, both of St. Louis. J. L. Henson was born October 10, 1878, was a former Poplar Bluff policeman and now owns the old Hargrove farm where he resided 10 miles south of Poplar Bluff. His children are Chester Henson, Mrs. O. C. Cutsinger of Poplar Bluff, Mrs. I. L. Baker of St. Louis and J. L. Henson, Jr., who resides at the family house. R. A. Henson was born September 10, 1880 and died April 14, 1905. His only child is Mrs. Clyde Hendrickson of Caruthersville. Thomas Walter Henson was born November 9, 1892 and is engaged in the real estate business in Poplar Bluff. D. O. Henson, Butler county dairyman and farmer, was born May 12, 1888. He has been a deputy sheriff, a former county welfare officer and has one son, Lawrence of Paragould, Ark. Another son, Howard, died in infancy. Matt W. Henson was born November 16, 1890 and was elected as county clerk of Butler county in November of 1918. He served two terms in the office after having been city assessor of Poplar Bluff from 1915 to 1917. He was admitted to the bar in January of 1920 and is Senior member of the Henson law firm with his nephews Tom and Ted Henson. Mr. And Mrs. Matt W. Henson have three children, Mrs. Lee Bryan of Poplar Bluff, Rex Allen and John D. Henson, who are still living at home.