Nathaniel Henderson Jr.
February 28, 1962 ~ April 1, 2026
Born in: Flint, Michigan
Resided in: Indianapolis, Indiana
Resided in: Indianapolis, Indiana
Nathaniel Henderson, Jr., 64, a native of Flint, Michigan, passed away on April 1, 2026, at 2:49 PM at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, located at 8111 South Emerson Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46237. He succumbed to a long illness.
Born on February 28, 1962, in Flint, Michigan, he was the son of the late Nathaniel Henderson, Sr., and Mildred Connors.
Nathaniel is survived by his four sons, listed from eldest to youngest: Romel Lamar Henderson of lowa Park, Texas; Nathaniel Isaac Henderson III of Houston, Texas; Joshua Isaiah Henderson of Houston, Texas; and Kamari Clapton of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also leaves behind six daughters, listed from eldest to youngest: Rasheda Desquan Henderson of Indianapolis, Indiana; Erica Monique Kelley of Houston, Texas; Lisa Henderson of Montgomery, Alabama; Geneva Henderson of Tuskegee, Alabama; Ashley Henderson of Tuskegee, Alabama; and Ashley Clapton of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Additional survivors include his brothers: Michael (Lois) Muhammad of Fayette, Mississippi; Sean Connors of Dallas, Texas; and Phillip Muhammad of Indianapolis, Indiana. His sisters include Sophia (Caderal) Jones of Bowie, Maryland; Monica Bell of Detroit, Michigan; and Taletha Jackson of Detroit, Michigan. He is also survived by grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. He was preceded in death by his father, Nathaniel Henderson, Sr.; his mother, Mildred Connors; and two brothers, Mark Muhammad and Ray Henderson.
Nate Jr. proudly served his country in the United States Navy from August 1, 1979, to November 10, 1980, specializing in Stationary Engineering. At the young age of 22, he became a deacon at True Gospel Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan. He was involved in a bus ministry in Dayton, Ohio, from 1986 to 1991 and, in his later years, taught Bible study in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had a passion for fishing and often spent entire nights on the lake. One of his favorite scriptures was Ephesians 3:20, which states, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
A “Celebration of Life & Graveside Service” will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Round Hill Cemetery, located at 5300 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46217. Flowers can be sent to O’Riley-Branson Funeral Services & Crematory, 6107 South East Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227.
Services
Graveside Service:
Friday, April 10, 2026
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Round Hill Cemetery
5235 S Meridian St
Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
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NathanielHenderson Jr.Graveside Service
Graveside Service
5235 S Meridian St,Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
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Will continue to care for our children as best as I can. See you in that Great getting up morning.
Something I won’t forget is that airplane game you used to play with me and brother, and the chess lessons, and the early morning fishing trips, and our many conversations about “finding the right woman” lol.
I’ll see you soon, dad.
I will see Nate Jr again, standing, walking and talking about God goodness.
May he rest in peace.
Cuz Cheryl
Remembering my Cousin Nate Jr. I met you when I moved to Flint. You helped me get my first car from the auction that car was good to me and my family it wasn’t easy starting over but you helped us a lot. You moved away after a few years but whenever you came back you would always stop by and see us. You spoke so well at Mom’s funeral thank you for that. I’ll always keep those memories and more of you. I love you, Rest In Peace Cousin 💙🕊️💫
“How long has it been,” I thought, as I stood in the Urgent Care Center on an early Monday morning zoning out as the nurse explains to me how my dad’s heart stopped. “Has it been months? Years? Wow…how time flies when you’re not focused on it.”
He used to get on me about not calling him to “check in.” The last excuse I gave was that “I’ve just been preoccupied with my daily worries and life.” I guess I just find it difficult to stay in touch with people I don’t visually see on a regular-basis. They become the old memories my brain archives to make room for the next chapters of my life.
When he called me (July 2024), the tone was solemn and direct. He informed me that he was in the Emergency room about to get surgery and was concerned that his heart would stop. So, he wanted to be sure I had all his insurance and burial information and was briefed on what to do in case he doesn’t make it through.
The news left me speechless for a few moments. I told him that I would look for a flight and try to take off work to visit him. I asked if the doctors could delay the surgery until I could be there. (They didn’t). The following day. I called him but he didn’t pick up so I sent him a message to inform him that my flight was booked and that I would be there to see him on Sunday. I followed up with a few more calls and messages throughout the day, but received no response. “Why wasn’t he responding to my calls?” As the sky darkened, my spirit began to worry, my heart became heavy and moisture formed in my eyes as I lay in bed staring out into the darkness…wishing for a drowsy mind…to swiftly save me from these weeping thoughts…
Enclosed with this letter is a gift from the heart as I “thank the Father who is in heaven for granting us another day of human life and forgiveness of our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” Matthew 6:9-15
Some farewells can be sudden and without a formal goodbye. The Greatest Book of all Time describes many events such as this…and one such event that may one day unfold if we are not ready…
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” Luke 17: 20 – 36 | Matthew 24: 4 – 42
The night nurse informed me that my dad kept telling her that he was expecting a visitor on Monday. When the nurse asked who the visitor was, so she could make note of it, my dad’s response was that he didn’t know, but he insisted that the visitor would be arriving on Monday…
When the sun sets, my flight makes its approach to land with rays of fading light blinding me as I peer out the window to view the city below. As I drive off in my rental, I contemplate whether I should go straight to the Airbnb or to the hospital to visit my dad. I hadn’t heard from him since he messaged me on Friday informing me they amputated his leg. He was upset and stated that he didn’t consent to it but was relieved that the doctors would be giving him a prosthetic. I wondered if he was okay and thought that maybe his phone ran out of juice. I ultimately decided that i was too tired to go see him and will just see him tomorrow afternoon. (I will later regret this). After a hot shower and settling in my Airbnb, I begin listening to music as I lay in bed waiting for sleep to find me.
As one of my favorite songs (In the Secret by Sondae) begins to play, I start having thoughts of my dad passing away…it kept repeating over and over. My head begins to throb in pain and a river of tears stream from my eyes as I weep and pray to Jesus asking him to allow my siblings and I to see our father alive one more time before his spirit departs from his body. After what felt like hours, I convince myself that the visions and the dreams I often have never come true. I was convinced that my dreams are from the evil one whom gives me these visions to torment me. But that’s partially incorrect. Most visions we have are dreams which come from God who uses them to teach, inform or warn us. Other visions could be memories of something we experienced or of something we witnessed, like in a movie for example. Although the evil one can’t manufacture dreams, some visions we receive can be corrupted by his influence if we are being oppressed.
An hour or so passed midnight, I was woken up by a thought to check my phone…then I noticed my phone vibrating. It was a call from the hospital. The nurse said that she had been trying to reach me for hours as I was my dad’s emergency contact. She informed me that my dad’s heart stopped last night and it took 35 minutes for them to bring him back. No oxygen to the brain for that period of time did massive damage to his organs. They were not sure how much longer he would have to live as he was in critical condition being kept alive by the life support machines. After hanging up with the nurse, I rushed to the hospital as I began to feel regret for not visiting him yesterday evening. It’s a little after 2am on Monday when I arrive to sign in on the Visitor’s log. I’m the first visitor of the day…
Enclosed with this letter is an offering as I give thanks to the Father who is in heaven for granting us another day of human life and forgiveness of our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Matthew 6:9-15
Not everyone who claims to be a Christian will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Although we are saved by faith alone, faith without good deeds is dead. How can you spot a true follower of Jesus? By matching up their words with their actions. Are they abiding by God’s law? We are taught that the 10 commandments can be summed up with one word: Love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul…Love your neighbor as you love yourself…Do unto others what you would want them to do unto you.” Matthew 7:9-27 | Romans 13:9 | Galatians 5:20 – 21
Of course, no one is perfect so we must constantly pray seeking forgiveness and we must repent. Repentance is another way of saying, to change direction or behavior. What will happen to those who lack faith in Jesus Christ?
“I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth… The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them…They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.” Revelation 9:1-11 | Revelation 16:8-11