James Henderson Nov. 25, 1950 – Jan. 1, 2015

James Leonard Henderson, age 64, born Nov. 25, 1950, died Jan. 1, 2015.

Leonard died at home in Otis after battling mesothelioma for some 15 years or so.

Leonard was born in Enterprise to James L. (Jim) Henderson and Maravene (Mary) Henderson-Pickle. He was raised in Wallowa and the Promise area where the family had cattle. He went to school in Wallowa and graduated in 1969.

He spent his early years custom haying, building wood frame shops, Behlen metal buildings, and mechanicing. Later on Leonard developed the Promise ranch to grow alfalfa and grain. He took on his biggest project to build an irrigation dam that still exists.

Leonard went to Alaska in 1985 to “Save the ranch” as he said it. He spent six years there. Four years working for Silver Bay Logging as head mechanic/welder and two years as manager of the Yakutat Lodge. He moved the family back to Oregon in 1991 and took on a job as mechanic/welder with Siletz Bay Logging and other logging companies for a couple of years. He then worked as mechanic/welder for ranches in Washington landing at Mattawa, Wash., where he worked at a feedlot. He moved on to work at an alfalfa cubing plant in Othello, Wasl. During this time he became too sick to work and moved back to Wallowa County in 1994. He started his company Henderson Friendly Computers and in 2001 moved to the Oregon Coast. The oxygen-rich coastal air was easier for him to breathe.

He is survived by his wife M. Joanna Henderson of Otis, and 10 kids ranging in age from 37 to 18. Daughter Leslie Henderson-Hulse of Wallowa, son Lyle Henderson of La Grande, daughter Meagan Henderson of Chesapeake, Va., daughter Bethany of Moscow, Idaho, daughter Emelle of Portland, sons Steel and Craig of Otis and three stepsons Dwyane, Phillip, and Nathan. He is also survived by his sister Annelia Riggs of Vancouver, Wash., and ex-wife Gayle Lyman of Wallowa.

Leonard is preceded in death by his parents James L. (Jim) Henderson and Maravene M. (Mary) Shumway-Pickle.

A celebration of Life will be held in Lincoln City on Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at Vineyard Church.