Serena LeeAnn Hendrickson

Serena LeeAnn Hendrickson was born to Hank and Nancy Kampf on August 12, 1961 in Cheyenne Wells, Co. She was the second born with her older brother Butch to welcome her home. From the moment she was born she was a “Daddy’s Girl.” Eleven months later she became an older sister to Michelle, and two years later her youngest sister Shirley joined their family. Serena and Michelle were born so close that she was still on a bottle when Michelle was brought home. Nancy couldn’t figure out why Michelle cried all the time till she caught Serena with Michelle’s bottle hiding behind the couch nursing it down as quickly as she could. Those four kids had countless stories growing up on the Ranches.

Serena attended her young school years in different places. Starting in Cheyenne County, to Colorado Springs, to Arkansas, then finally back to Cheyenne County where the family settled to call it home. In her junior high years, she enjoyed sports, cheerleading, numerous activities, and riding horses out on the ranch. God knew at a very young age she was the nurturing type as he blessed her to be a mother on May 24th, 1976 to Misty Jo. She was adored by her family, a living Baby Doll. Misty and Serena stayed living with her dad and mom while Serena finished her high school years. It was during her late high school years that she married her High School Sweetheart Lonnie Edwin Hendrickson on September 29, 1979. To this union she was blessed with four more children: Billie Joy (1980), Tawnie LeeAnn (1982), Jessica LaDan (1988), and as our brother would say, she saved the Best for Last, Joshua James Edwin (1994). She finally got her boy, and her family was complete. All she ever wanted was a huge, happy, healthy family raised on the Family Farm. She enjoyed driving tractor, working cattle, cooking at harvest time, running to town for parts, wherever she was needed she filled the gap. She enjoyed their farming/ranching lifestyle so much that she would drive tractor with her babies, bringing along the bean bag for them to rest on.

Serena enjoyed bringing her family to her mom and dad’s house on Football Sundays to cheer on the Broncos! She would help her mother prepare that wonderful Sunday meal and watch football all afternoon. We kids could watch too, but you had better find yourself on your stomach NOT in front of the TV or Grandpa Hank would let you hear about it!

Serena always had a love for animals and even with her busy life of raising children, she still managed to find time to take classes and get a degree in Animal Science that she was so proud of. It also was handy knowledge to have raising all the different animals on the farm. You could ask her anything about raising babies or caring for animals and she always had an answer. We couldn’t tell you how many stray cats and dogs found a home with her, along with Josh always bringing home his fair share.

She became a grandmother on her birthday, August 12th, 1996 to Brooke Laine. As she always said, the Best Gift a Grandma could ever ask for. Shortly followed with Blake, Jermiah, Israel, Jade, Andrew, Ethen, Braylee, Cruze, Easton, Everett, Brandi, and Jesse. From then on everyone knew her as Grandma Rena; she was so proud to be called that.

As with anyone there came some difficult times in her life and Serena spent some time away from home. During this period she was able to reflect on herself and really find who she was. She came back home in 2007 stronger than ever with just her and Josh. Our mother’s faith and walk with the Lord was absolutely beautiful. We could call her for the slightest inconvenience in one of our lives, and she would take it straight to prayer with you on the phone or in person, starting with, “Where two or more are gathered in his name there he will be”. Our mom faced a lot of battles in her life and she always pressed into Jesus. She was always telling us that fighting was done on your knees, or that when life knocks you down, you’re in a perfect position to pray. She always found scripture to insert into the conversation or situation. Her faith was far bigger than anything she feared. Our mother had a War Room before anyone had ever seen the show on TV. Her bathroom was filled with sticky notes reminding her that she was the daughter of the Most High King that was perfectly and wonderfully made. Her prayers were so powerful and lengthy that when we would ask her to pray, her prayers would go on forever- some of our hands would go numb or one of us would start to get itchy. All that showed us was when she went into battle she was full armored up and was literally battling on whoever’s behalf. She was a true Prayer Warrior.

She started working at the Kwik Korner where everyone around could enjoy her specialties in the kitchen. She was such a wonderful cook who was known for her “Famous Green Chili” that she won multiple times in the Chili Cook Off at the fair. Grandma Rena was also famous for her various homemade sweet breads. She was very patriotic and always thanked any Veteran that came in with a loaf of bread and a handshake. “Small Town America” was another way of describing our mother as she so enjoyed parades. From County Fair Parades to Tumbleweed Christmas Parades to The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on her TV, she enjoyed them all. She was also known for her ability to can. Anything canning would catch her attention and she was on it. If you had leftovers you had better hide them or she would be canning them up! “Always be prepared kids, don’t get caught with your pants down!”

Grandma Rena was the most caring, kind, sweet, loving person you would ever meet in your life, but she also had an ornery streak in her. She thought it was so funny to jump out and scare people or grab them! She would laugh for days if she got you! One of the family’s funniest stories about her was that she couldn’t stand telemarketers calling her. So one day she received a call and very politely she told him to hold on for a moment because she couldn’t hear him. She put her phone down on the counter and placed a cast iron pan over top of it and beat the top of the pan with a wooden spoon. “There,” she said, “I’m sure you enjoyed that as much as I enjoy getting your unnecessary phone calls!” I’m sure she went to the No Call list after that!

Grandma Rena enjoyed watching her grandbabies and family grow and felt so blessed and honored to have her time with all, but thoroughly enjoyed spending time and having sleepovers with Easton and Everett. They were her world and brought her so much joy! You couldn’t talk to her on the phone without a story about those boys. She was especially protective over Andrew and Cruze, and loved that Andrew was her only grandson that called her “Gram”. As she was blessed with a bunch of grandsons she loved having the 4-wheelers, trucks, farm sets, and the look of having grandkids around with all the toys. She was also blessed with a few granddaughters. Brooke was the first born so she always kept a special place in her heart. Then several boys later, our family grew with another girl Brandi, who Grandma Rena took under her wing as her own, and then finally completed her granddaughters with her “Baby Girl”, Braylee. To her children and grandchildren we will remember her saying, “We all brought a different color to her Rainbow”, and “It may not be now, it may not be ten years from now, but one day you’ll thank me”!

Grandma Rena became ill in the summer of 2021. She would seem like she would get better, but it was always one step forward and ten steps back. She was so tough and strong that we never really knew how sick she was. She loved going for rides, looking at cattle, watching her grandkids play sports, and just spending time with family. You could see her often with Tawnie going for rides and anywhere with her favorite person, her “Man Cub” Josh; they were two peas in a pod. She fought a long, hard battle with her sickness and would get well enough to where she could go home, and then become sick again very quickly. As our brother would say, “She sure had a lot of “Frequent Flyer Miles on the Helicopter”. On March 27th, she was surrounded by her family as she wishes and her Lord and Savior called her to come home. No matter how old we got, her kids to her will always be her “Chippy, BillBill, TaTa, Jess and Mancub”. Thank you Mom, We Love You So Very Much, and as our Mom and Grandma Rena would say back to us, “I Love You More”. She will be remembered by us all with her beautiful face, smile, and kind heart.

Serena is preceded in death by her parents Hank and Nancy Kampf, her brother Butch Kampf, sister-in-law Dixie Kampf, and niece Brassie Kampf.

She is survived by her sister, Michelle Kampf of Cheyenne Wells, Co; her daughters, Misty (Darin) Dickey of Cheyenne Wells, Co., Billie (Ray) Cozart of Cheyenne Wells, Co., Tawnie & (Bo) Baeza of Cheyenne Wells, Co., Jessica (Victor) Garay of Cheyenne Wells, Co.; son, Josh (Blanca) Hendrickson of Cheyenne Wells, Co.; and nieces, Buffy Kampf of Colorado Springs, Co and Alex Garton. 

She is also survived by her grandchildren – Brooke & Truett Box, Blake & Shiann Dickey, Jermiah Cozart, Jade & Jaden Cozart, Israel Baeza & Lea, Andrew Baeza, Cruze Baeza, Ethen Garay, Braylee Garay, Easton Hendrickson, Everett Hendrickson, Brandi Garay, and Jesse Ramos; and great grandchildren – Ledger, Wren, & Beckham Box, Grant & Haven Dickey, Asher Cozart, Ryder Rupp, Oaklee Baeza, and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Memorial Contributions can be made in Serena Hendrickson's name set up at the Eastern Colorado Bank in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.