HENSLEY, Dorothy (Gene)

Mohave Daily News, Mohave Valley, Arizona - Published in Mohave Daily News Online from January 2 to January 9, 2011 - Dorothy "Gene" Hensley celebrated 93 years with her friends and family before passing on Saturday, November 27, 2010 in Fountain Valley, Calif. She was born in Paris, Texas, on Dec. 18, 1916. After successfully performing in Vaudeville with her husband and dance partner, Charles Borden, they moved to Needles, Calif., and lived there from 1938 to 1942. Her last professional dance appearance was at the Needles Theater. After she retired from profesional dancing, the band went on to perform for Artie Shaw on Catalina Island. Her greatest contributions to Needles, is in the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren who reside in Needles and the surrounding area. Gene lived in Taft, Calif., for 21 years from 1958 to 1979. Always devoted to family, she found time for Eastern Star, contributed articles to the Taft Daily Midway Driller, was an auxiliary member of the Elks Lodge, and was an adult student at Taft Community College where she found another calling as she took beginning creative writing. Gene and her second husband, Chad, retired and moved to Oceano, Calif., until his death. In 2003 she moved to Fountain Valley, Calif., to live with her daughter, Mia, and son-in-law, Gene, and she then began to write in earnest. She joined a memoir writing class and refined stories she wrote in previous years, and wrote new stories. Her story, "Six Months to Live and Laugh" was about the day she learned she needed to go on hospice, and it was published on beliefnet.org. Always humble, she questioned her writing ability, and was amazed when she received thousands of emails from readers that were touched by her story. Gene's memoir writing instructor has a blog on her website, "Memoir Mentor.com," that speaks of Gene's writing contribution. She lived a full and memorable 5-1/2 years after that May 2005 hospice referral. Gene was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Chad N. Hensley and her eldest son, Charles D. Borden of Ridgecrest, Calif. She was the last survivor of nine siblings, and left a rich legacy of family that were all blessed by her life, including two daughters, Cray "Duchess" Hernandez of Needles, Calif., and Camellia "Mia" Riegel of Fountain Valley, Calif.; son, Chad "Rocky" Hensley of Henderson, Nev.; 15 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, January 8, 2011, at The Little Church of the Flowers, Forest Lawn, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, Calif. Following the service, a gravesite service will be at Enduring Faith, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, and a celebratory dinner that afternoon at Izzy's Bagels (Magnolia and Warner) in Fountain Valley. Contact the publisher about Gene's memoirs at Creative Continuum, Inc., (714)630-2960. Contact the family at Geinieandmia@sbcbglobal.net. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to your local Hospice.