Henrietta “Hank” Copeland Christenbury

Henrietta “Hank” Copeland Christenbury was born in Troy, North Carolina on April 10, 1928 to Rev. William Crecy Copeland and Henrietta Braswell Copeland. She passed away peacefully in her home on March 5, 2022. She was the fifth of seven children.

She mostly grew up in Davidson, North Carolina in a beautiful home across from Davidson College that is still there today and known as the “Copeland House”. It is still in her family owned by her brother Dr. Donald Copeland. Her stories of small-town Davidson and all the “characters” that lived there were very vivid and made you feel like you knew them also. Mom loved Davidson dearly and when she met new people the first thing she would ask them was,” Are you from Davidson?”

She married Plase Maxwell Christenbury Jr. in 1950 and they had four children together. Their family has expanded to three grandchildren and one great grandson. They enjoyed visiting family in Montreat, North Carolina where her family owned a home. Her mother was an incredible cook and eventually ran the William Black Home for the Presbyterian Church along with her daughter Nancy. Her father, the late Rev. W.C. Copeland, was a Presbyterian minister who was much loved.

Mom was a very talented artist and went to many schools including Davidson College, Ringling School of Art, Queens College and UNC Charlotte. She received her art degree from Sacred Heart college in Belmont. After this she taught art privately and in the public schools in Cabarrus County. It is theorized that she was the brainchild of the “ABC” program. This stood for Arts in the Basic Curriculum. Her idea was where she would tie art projects to areas of study in the core curriculum. Mom also proudly served a turn as president of the Cabarrus Art Guild.

In addition to the visual arts mom was also a talented Thespian. We remember her playing “Big Mama” in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and Sophie in “Social Security” with the Old Courthouse Theater in Concord.

She also loved music and playing the piano. Her children fondly remember her playing “Clair de Lune” and then switching to “Boogie” without batting an eye.

Mom loved children and was a fantastic mother, wife, daughter, and sister. She was an encouraging positive force in all of our lives. She gave beauty to her family and the world that we will never forget. Mom was a true artist in every sense of the word.

Surviving are her husband Plase “Chris”, daughter Pamela and her husband Rudy and their two children Jason and Jessica, son Max and his wife Carol and daughter Page and grandson Holden and sons David and William. Also surviving is her brother, Donald and his wife Caroline and their three children along with many nieces and nephews.
Her family is planning a celebration of her life to take place in the weeks to come. To find out more information please check back on @wilkinsonfuneralhome.com for an update for a definite date for this. The public is invited.

If you would like to memorialize Mom consider donating to the arts.