Juanita Henricks

On June 9, 1929, Juanita Kamp Henricks was born in Catesby, Oklahoma. Her parents, Herman and Maggie Savely Kamp, were blessed with three daughters prior to Juanita’s arrival – Emma Jean, Claudine, and Evelyn. At 17, she met the love of her life, Clarence Henricks, and they soon married on August 29, 1947. They instilled the values of hard work, integrity, acts of kindness, and honesty into their three children, Donnita, Marvin, and Shelly. She departed our lives on October 30, 2024.

Juanita was constantly active in the community. The family moved from Catesby to Slapout where she worked as a teen at the gas station. She was nicknamed “Red” because she was a feisty redhead that enjoyed talking with people from both near and far. Through the years, her attention to detail and thirst for perfection resulted in multiple top awards for cooking and sewing at the Beaver County Fair. She was a member of the Logan Homemaker’s Club where she helped to start documenting the history of Beaver County, which was published in two large volumes and sold publicly. She dedicated immeasurable time and energy to whatever her children and grandchildren were involved with including 4-H Clubs, school sports and programs, and travel. Once her children left the nest, she used her accounting skills as an employee of the Barby companies.

Some of her life’s highlights included going to Israel, where she was baptized in the Jordan River. Clarence was a County Commissioner, so they attended the Governor’s Ball where Juanita presented the Governor’s wife with a hand-crafted pearl beaded rope necklace. She watched OSU football from Boone Picken’s private suite, and her picture was in the 2023 Miss Oklahoma program book. She served as Secretary/Treasurer for Slapout Community Center at Overstreet, working hard to make sure that the school’s history was preserved. Additionally, she served as the chair for the local Beaver County election board. She faithfully attended the Fair View Fellowship Church of Slapout women’s bible study group each week until her passing.

Her joys included art, music, bowling, and nature. Few probably knew what a talented artist she was. Juanita loved listening to music, but also she played piano with family and friends and hosted community music get-togethers at her house. In 1969, she started bowling on a league in Laverne and later in Woodward until she stopped competing in 2020 at the age of 90. Juanita  was enamored with nature and enjoyed the comfort of beautiful sunrises and sunsets visible from her windows. Juanita was a smart and accomplished woman that gave so much love, joy, orneriness, and laughs to anyone she met. Often using ingenuity to get things done, she boasted of her “cheating ways” because she was fiercely independent and didn’t want help. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Maggie Kamp; her husband of almost 45 years, Clarence Henricks; her sisters Emma Jean Zetterberg, Claudine Cofield, and Evelyn Elam. She is survived by her children as well as their spouses and grandchildren - Donnita and Rusty Tregellas, sons Sheldon, Shannon, and Shaddon Laverty; Marvin and Debbie Henricks, sons Joel, Jace, and Jordan Henricks; and Shelly Henricks and Bert Jacobson, daughters Claire Grace and Sarah Donahue. In all, she fully adored 12 great grandchildren and another one that will be born soon.

There is not enough words to capture the true spirit of such an amazing lady that touched so many lives so deeply.