Tribal Elder Sanda 'Sam' Henny walks on at age 64

Sanda "Sam" Lois Henny

April 8, 1947 - March 15, 2012

Tribal Elder Sanda "Sam" Lois Henny, 64, a resident of Dallas, walked on Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Salem Hospital.

She was born April 8, 1947, in McMinnville, Ore., the daughter of Roscoe and Rosella Leno Langley. She married John Lemery Henny of Brooks, Ore., on Nov. 30, 1968, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Grand Ronde, Ore. They lived and worked in Brooks for 30 years and were proud members of the Gervais community and the Catholic Church.

Sanda worked hard and was a proud member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and a Tribal Elder. She worked for Spirit Mountain Casino as Tribal Development manager and trainer. She worked in the Human Resources field for more than 25 years in employee relations, training and organizational and career development. She was a member of the National Native American Human Resources Association and a past member of the board of directors.

Sanda was very talented as a Native American basket weaver and she has baskets displayed at the University of Oregon in Eugene and Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University in Salem. She also taught basket weaving classes at other Oregon Tribes. She was a big fan of the Oregon State University Beavers and the Seattle Mariners. She enjoyed making cards and doing crafts, and was also a talented artist in paints. She was very dedicated to her husband, two children and four grandchildren.

Sanda retired from Spirit Mountain Casino in December 2011 after her 10-year-long courageous battle with cancer. Through it all, she always had a smile for everyone and a fabulous sense of humor.

She is survived by her husband, John Henny of Dallas; son, Adam (Julie) Henny of Beaverton; daughter Sarah (Michael) Harvey of Keizer; and four grandchildren, Genevieve and John Henny and Jordan and Evan Harvey. Also surviving are siblings Roscoe Langley Jr. of Blakely, Ga., Erwin Langley of Otis, Ore., and Joan Jones of Dallas, Ore. Her siblings who walked on before her were Norita Wakeland, Myrna Brickell, Marvin Langley and Jody Hubbell.

The Rosary will be recited at 10:30 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass on Thursday, March 22, at St. Philip Catholic Church in Dallas, with reception immediately following at the church. Private burial will be in the Holmes Cemetery in Grand Ronde on Friday.

Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center is handling the arrangements.

Donations can be made to OHSU Knight Cancer Institute or the Oregon Health and Sciences University Foundation, 1121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97205-2021. To leave on on-line condolence for the family, go to www.dallastribute.com.