Billy Jene Hendershot, 84, of Reagan, Texas entered into rest Thursday, January 26, 2012. Military graveside services were held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 31, at the Texas Veteran’s Cemetery in Killeen , Texas. Jene was born May 1, 1927 in Strong City, Oklahoma to Ab and Opal (Blakey) Hendershot. He entered the U.S. Army at age 17 and served in Germany in WWII cleaning up liberated Nazi prison camps. Jene had three tours of duty, serving one under General George Patton.
Jene attended Spartan Aviation School in Tulsa, Oklahoma after his military service and was hired at Northrop Grunman in Wichita, Kansas. He then became a supervisor in the Quality Control Department at Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center for NASA for many years during the Mercury, Gemini and Appolo Space Missions. He later worked as an inspector at Nuclear Energy Power Plants across the United States for MATSCO. Jene was preceded in death by his parents, Ab and Opal Hendershot as well as his siblings: Jack Hendershot, Jim Hendershot, Ann Hendershot Williams, Johnny Hendershot and Betty Hendershot Bradley.
Survivors include his wife, Juanita Hendershot of Reagan, TX; sons: Gary Hendershot of Houston, Texas; Robert Hendershot of San Diego, California; Mark Hendershot of Roanoke, Virginia; grandchildren, Ainsley Hendershot, Keaton Hendershot, Curran Hendershot, Gavin Hendershot, Deaglan Hendershot; sister, Frances Hendershot Scroggins of Strong City, Oklahoma; sister-in-law, Ruth Hendershot of Sayre, Oklahoma; brother-in-law, Joe Bradley of Ansley, Nebraska; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 15MAR2012