Bennye Jean Hensler

Bennye Jean (Scogin) Hensler passed away peacefully at her home in Clarkston, Ga., on August 29, 2026 - one day shy of her 100th birthday.

Born in the tiny town of Kosse, Texas, she was the only child of Jim and Mozel Scogin, cotton farmers who lived through the hardships of the Great Depression and raised their daughter in a home that until her late teens had neither plumbing nor electricity. Hardship moved the family to Corpus Christi during her 20s, and it was there she met Tom Hensler, Jr., a Marine in flight training at the Naval Air Base Corpus Christi, while she was working as a booking clerk for Braniff Airlines. They met in January, 1952, and were married on March 21 of the same year. Their union lasted 65 years, until his passing in 2017.

With only a high school education, she rose to the role of officer's wife with shy success, raising a family and creating a home as her husband was actively deployed in Korea and twice in Vietnam. She was an excellent cook and homemaker, always seeking out the latest recipe or home fashion, and enjoyed card playing (especially bridge), sewing and square dancing. She loved birds (especially red birds) and was so soft hearted that there was rarely an unfed stray cat in the neighborhood.

She is survived by her four children, Tom (Kathy) Hensler III, Jim (Connie) Hensler, Brooke (Earl) Gunter, Meridith Ford (David de Vries); her grandchildren, Kenyon (Courtney) Hensler, Rachel Hensler (Edward Roualdes), Greer (Allan) Narowski, Whitney (David) Vige, Regan Hensler (Andrew Mulhall), Kelsey Hensler and Truett Ford; and her five great grandchildren, Piper and Brice Hensler, Francis Roualdes, Poppy Narowski, and Brooks Vige.

A visitation will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons, 2773 N Decatur Rd, Decatur, Ga., on Friday, September 4, from 4 to 7 p.m., with a funeral service to follow on Saturday, September 5, at 2 p.m. in the A.S. Turner & Sons Chapel. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Bennye's caregivers over the last three years, Ms. Joyce Ricketts, and particularly to Ms. Sharon Williams. Please send yellow roses to the funeral home to honor Bennye or donate to the Smile Train charity in her name.