Spouse:
Pete HenryFriends of Conservation
Source: County Conservation News, Warren County Conservation Board, Spring 1989
"I cannot remember a time when the great outdoors did
not hold fascination for me. As a child Ihad a continual urge to explore
the woodlands whee I lived no matter the season.
When I was young, the woodlands in spring and summer were more prolific
with all kinds of berries. How I enjoyed saddling the horse and with
empty syrup buckets in hand going forth to fill them with gooseberries,
blackberries, wild strawberries, etc. I still savor the thought of pies,
jams, and cobblers resulting from my labor. Did I say labor? I don't
remember it as being that. I had the songbirds, squirrels, and rabbits
to keep me company as I stopped to rest on the stream banks or walk
amidst blooming wildflowers.
I vowed
that when I became a school teacher that nature activities would be an
important part of my teaching curriculum, and it was so for 32 years.
Of course, we have always had an interest in our environment, but I
believe today's increasing concern is a bit late coming and some fast
"catch-up" is surely necessary.
How
fortunate that 99 counties in Iowa have conservation boards, many with a
full-time naturalist as has Warren County.
Whether it be at the Warren County Conservation Center, at church camps,
summer camps, or field trips, we are making headway towards a better
understanding of our environment. I plan to continue doing my part."
--Maxine Henry
"Doing my part" is an understatement when it comes to Maxine Henry! Born and raised in Iowa, she is recognized in many important arenas. Maxine taught elementary and junior high school for 32 years (the last 23 years in Indianola). In 1983 she received the Professional Educator Award for an outstanding record of service to the educational profession.
Maxine also helped spearhead efforts for the wildlife plantings around Emerson school. She and her students consequently received the 1973 Iowa Soil Conservation Achievement Award for Warren County. Maxine was named the District Teacher Division Winner.
Maxine is appreciated in political circles, too, as a person willing to ask perceptive questions and express will thought-out opinions. She has served as Warren County's Democratic Chairperson. Presently, she volunteers her time on at least five legislative committees, chairs two of these committees, and has been honored as one of the Top 100 Women in Iowa.
Busy? Yes, but never too busy to put family and community first. Maxine is very involved in the New Virginia Methodist Church, helping out where she is needed, be it the kitchen or the finance committee.
As for family, Maxine is a devoted grandmother of three and a mother of three children, too. She has two sons, Bruce and Jerold, and a daughter, Nancy. Nancy has been unconscious for twenty-five years as the result of a car accident in 1964.
Maxine grew upon a farm and it is still an important part of her life. She owns and manages the 80-acre farm she and her husband Pete bought in 1964. Pete passed away in 1984. Maxine says she stays in the country because "I love the outdoors. I love to feed the birds and to garden too."
The County Supervisors, recognizing Maxine's dedication and experience, appointed her as the WCCB's newest Board member. Let's welcome her as a true friend of conservation!