Thomas J. Henderson Page 575-576 - Thomas J. Henderson is Michigan state manager of the Illinois Life Insurance Company, with headquarters in the city of Grand Rapids, where he has well appointed offices in the Federal Square building. He was born in Nankin, Wayne county, Michigan, February 7, 1869, and the site of the old homestead in which he was born is now occupied by the large bolt factory of the Ford Motor Company. He is a son of John and Anne (Fitzgerald) Henderson, the former of whom was born in Scotland and the later in Ireland, their marriage having been solemnized in Detroit, Michigan. John Henderson was reared and educated in his native land, and as a member of the famed Ninety-second Highlanders, he participated in the Crimean war. Notwithstanding that he was six feet and two inches in height, he was the shortest member of this gallant military organization, and of the 1,000 members of the regiment, all but twenty-five lost their lives in the war mentioned. The little band of survivors were given high honors in both Scotland and England, and were tendered an elaborate supper at the direct instance of Queen Victoria. Immediately after the close of his valiant service in this historic conflict, John Henderson came to the United States and made Michigan his destination. He located in Wayne county, and there he married Miss Anne Fitzgerald, who was a girl when she came with her parents from Ireland, the family home having been established in Detroit. Thomas J Henderson was nine years of age at the time of the family removal to Sanilac county, where he was afforded the advantages of the public schools. In 1892 he was graduated in the celebrated Ferris Institute, at Big Rapids, and thereafter he was for eight years a successful and popular teacher in the public schools. He then became an agent for the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company, and his has been a record of large and constantly cumulative success in the insurance business, in which he has been Michigan state manager for the Illinois Life Insurance Company, of Chicago, since 1902, the general office of the company for this state being maintained in Grand Rapids. In his long service as manager of the company's affairs in Michigan, Mr Henderson has visited every important city and town in the state, and while building up a large and important business for his company, with jurisdiction over about two hundred agents, his journeying about the state has impressed him most strongly with appreciation of the manifold resources, advantages and attractions of his native commonwealth, his loyalty to which is of most insistent order. Mr Henderson is an influential member of the Grand Rapids Underwriters Association, of which he has served as president, and he has been also a member of the executive board of the National Life Underwriters Association. He and his wife are members of the Fountain Street Baptist Church. His basic Masonic affiliation is with Traverse City Lodge, No. 222, A.F. & A.M., at the judicial center of Grand Traverse county, and in Grand Rapids he has affiliation with Dewitt Clinton Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Saladin Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member also of the local lodge of Elks and also of the Lions Club. In 1893 occurred the marriage of Mr Henderson to Miss Alta L Tripp, of Traverse City, and they have two children: Max C and Maurice M.

Transcriber: Terry Start
Created: 13 December 2002