Becky Henshaw

AIKEN - Becky Henshaw, who covered western South Carolina during three decades as a newspaper reporter for the Augusta Chronicle-Herald, died Sunday, March 26, 2017.  She was 92 years old. Her entire newspaper career was in the Chronicle-Herald's Aiken Bureau, where she began in 1968.   She held the position of bureau chief for a number of years before retiring in 1986. Her career coincided with a period of governmental growth in Aiken County.  She wrote extensively about Aiken County's transition to a county council form of government and the dissolution of the Aiken County Hospital in favor of a private corporation.  She also covered courts and statehouse issues affecting counties in the Central Savannah River Area. Ms. Henshaw was born in Baltimore in 1924. Named Elizabeth Hauff, she was known as 'Becky' because a childhood friend mispronounced her nickname. The daughter of traveling missionaries, she was raised in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Virginia.  She had little opportunity for formal education, but she was well-read.  During the 60's, while working as a secretary for a local radio station, she wrote commercials and humorous skits performed at the Town & Country civic group.  The commercials and skits appealed to Kay Lawrence, then the Chronicle-Herald's bureau chief, who hired Ms. Henshaw for her ability to write.  Ms. Lawrence and Carl Langley trained Ms. Henshaw to be a reporter. She was married to Charlie Henshaw, a long time employee of DuPont, for 55 years until his death in 2005.  She is survived by their children, Charles Henshaw of Columbia, Cecily Henshaw Prather of Aiken, Melissa Henshaw Jarriel and her husband Brett Jarriel of Aiken, and Andrew Henshaw and his wife Karen Casey Henshaw of Smyrna, GA.  Ms. Henshaw is also survived by eight grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Diabetes Association, 107 Westpark Blvd #220, Columbia, SC 29210. A memorial service will be held at Shellhouse Funeral Home, Hayne Avenue, Thursday, March 30, 2017 beginning at 2 p.m.  A private graveside service will be at Bethany Cemetery.   A visitation will be held at the funeral home Wednesday from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC Ms. Henshaw’s online guestbook may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Becky Henshaw, please visit our flower store.