Obituary of Henry Watson

Henry Watson passed away April 17, 2014 at the age of 97. He was born April 7, 1917 in East La Porte, North Carolina to William A. and Mary (Woods) Watson and was the youngest of 8 children. Henry was very proud of his military career and served 3 years in the 50th Engineer Combat Battalion of the US Army earning numerous decorations and citations. He would tell stories of his adventures in The Philippines, South Korea, Aleutian Islands to name a few. November 16, 1946 Henry married Virgie Ellen Bryson who he enjoyed 66 years of marriage. The two of them started a trek west following heavy duty construction. During his construction years, Henry was a heavy equipment operator and master mechanic helping to construct many dams including Hells Canyon, Grand Coulee, Cougar and Blue River. The couple decided to settle down in the Springfield area where Henry retired from Weyerhaeuser as a mill wright in 1981. Henry is survived by his wife Virgie and their two daughters: Sharon (Stan) Addison of Salem and Debbie (Randy) Goodrich of Springfield. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren: Tricia Klock, Michael (Jamie) Bays and Nicholas Bays of Salem, Brian Goodrich, Kelli (Jeremiah) Heacock of Springfield and Brent (Jennifer) Goodrich of Georgetown, Grand Cayman Islands. Survivors also include 12 great-grandchildren who held a special place in his heart. The family would like to thank the friends and family who offered their prayers and support during Henry’s last few months, especially the Hospice (River Bend) team that were invaluable and there when needed. Services will be held at 10 am on April 26th at Springfield Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts of remembrance be made in Henry’s memory to Hospice.