Dorothy T. Hendrix

Dorothy Hendrix was a woman who lived life on her own terms. She was born into the Tilley family on December 5th, 1928. This was in the small town of Macedonia on Sand Mountain, in Alabama, in a time and place in which women and girls had few rights, received little education, and often married young to become mothers to large families. These cultural conventions were reinforced by the Pentecostal faith of her family. Defying expectations, Dorothy left the faith of her family to become a Baptist and remained deeply devout her entire life. An even more fundamental change, though, was her decision to leave farm life behind as a teenager and get a job in an underwear mill, against her father’s wishes.

This was the first step in a journey that led Dorothy to make a career for herself. After working in the mill for some years, she began to sell Stanley Home Products. In a time before malls and shopping centers, it wasn’t easy for people to find products to clean or beautify their home, so companies like Stanley brought these goods to the people. Dorothy quickly learned how to excel in this business, throwing parties that combined entertainment with sales, working her connections with women who lived in the small towns of Sand Mountain.

Though possessing limited formal education, Dorothy had considerable savvy and soon advanced into management, training other women in how to hold Stanley Parties and sell the products. Dorothy was very proud of the fact that she was able to earn enough to buy herself her own car, nice clothes, and even more importantly, financially assist her parents and other family members. Most people assumed she would stay single and independent, as proved to be the case for years, but when she was in her late 30s, Dorothy defied expectations again when she met Aaron Hendrix while working.

They soon married, and though the relationship would prove to be a troubled one, Dorothy was very happy when she had a son, Scott Hendrix. For the next two decades, she would devote herself to caring for her husband and son, to whom she imparted a deep love of reading. Having had only a 5th-grade education herself, she wanted to make sure he had more opportunities, so she read to him constantly when he was young, and although money was often tight, she always made sure he had books.

Her support would continue when he married young and had a son of his own, David Hendrix. After a stint in the Army, Scott became a single father and Dorothy provided much of the care for David, which allowed Scott to work and go to college. Dorothy’s support never faltered, and she told everyone she met how proud she was of Scott as he continued his education and eventually earned a PhD in history from the University of Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Dorothy started working again as her husband’s health failed. She took great pride in her work at both Wal-Mart and Home Instead, working as a home health aide caring for elderly people for a number of years. Known for her dedication to her clients, several family members stayed in touch with Dorothy long after the loved ones for whom she had cared had passed.

Finally retiring for health reasons at 79, Dorothy moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, to live with her son Scott and his wife, Kelly Hendrix. She lived with them for over 9 years until her declining health led her to move to Care-Age of Brookfield, where she lived for the last 7 years of her life. Known for her thick Southern accent and charm, she became a favorite of many members of the staff and other residents. She greatly enjoyed living at Care-Age, where she spent her days reading mystery novels and participating in events at the facility. She died in the early hours of December 2nd, a few days before her 96th birthday. She is survived by her loving son, Scott Hendrix, her grandson, David Hendrix, two sisters, Charlotte Harris and Mary Womack, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at First Baptist Church, 247 Wisconsin Avenue, Waukesha, Wisconsin, 53186.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations made in memory of Dorothy to the Waukesha Women’s Center.