Marilyn Watkins Hensarling

Born in Wellborn, TX on February 24, 1938, Marilyn Watkins Hensarling went to her heavenly home on November 2, 2023.  She passed peacefully, surrounded by her children.

Marilyn grew up in Wellborn, the only daughter in a family of five children.  She graduated from Texas A&M Consolidated High School in 1956.  After singing in a senior choir recital, she received a full vocal scholarship to Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas.  While there, she met her future husband Lindy B. Watkins and they were married after her freshman year.  Lindy and Marilyn were married for 48 years and had four children.  They were very active in their church, First Assembly of God in Garland (later First at Firewheel).  Marilyn was a faithful member of the choir, an adult Sunday School teacher, a leader in Women’s Ministries and a mentor to many women.  She married Rev. Kenneth Hensarling in 2016 and they lived very happily together in Jasper, Texas until his death in 2021.  

Marilyn enjoyed reading, especially cozy mysteries.  She loved singing, and was a soprano in her church choir for many years.  She enjoyed needlework, especially needlepoint. She was an avid bird watcher and always kept one or two sets of binoculars near her front and back windows to observe the visitors to her many bird feeders. Marilyn was interested in genealogy and started researching her family history in the mid-70’s when she could only look at census records on microfiche at the Dallas Public Library.  She could hardly believe how much easier it was to research her ancestors now using the internet.  She was also a wonderful hostess and opened her home to anyone.  

After her children were in school, she returned to college and received her teaching degree from East Texas.  She taught Home Economics at Forney High School for three years and then returned to be a stay-at-home Mom.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Lindy B. Watkins and her husband Rev. Kenneth Hensarling; her parents, John L. “Jack” Davis and Stella Marie Watson; and her brothers John L. Davis, Stoney Davis and Hank Davis. 

Marilyn is survived by her four children: Virginia (Paul) Hankins, Stephen (Brenda) Watkins, Linda K. Darter, and Sandra (Chad) Meese; 11 grandchildren:  Miranda, Samuel, and Alan Hankins; Davis, Ethan, and Kori Watkins; Tolin (Lorena), and Kaitlin (fiancé Josh) Darter; and Christopher, Victoria, and Margaret Meese; 2 great-grandchildren:  Mason and Matthew Darter; her brother Glenn (Dottie) Davis; and many nieces and nephews.