Harold Leroy Henry was born on April 13, 1924, in West Plains, Howell County, Missouri. He was the son of Harry Cecil Henry and Pearl Bertha Mustion Henry. He was married to Martha Mae "Marty" Johnson Henry. He graduated from West Plains High School in 1940 at just 16 years old. On his 19th birthday, he was inducted into the United States Army and served on active duty in Central Europe during World War II. He served in the United States Army with the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II. Known as the “Daredevil Tankers”, the 740th was a separate battalion that fought from Utah Beach all the way to the Baltic Sea in support of various divisions of the US war effort. For his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, five Bronze Stars, and a Good Conduct Medal, along with a citation for exceptional courage and composure under fire from Major General William R. Schmidt.

Following his honorable discharge in 1946, he returned to West Plains. He pursued higher education at Southwest Missouri State University and later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1956. During law school, he received the American Jurisprudence Award for the highest grade in corporations and was also recognized for excellence in drafting legal instruments. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and was elected to its highest office, Justice.

After being admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1956, Judge Henry served as an assistant attorney general under Attorney General John Dalton until 1958. Upon returning to West Plains, he opened his law practice and was appointed as an outstate assistant attorney general. In 1960, he was elected Probate and Magistrate Judge of Howell County, receiving a record number of votes. He later served three terms as Prosecuting Attorney before returning to private practice in 1968. In 1987, Governor John Ashcroft appointed him as Circuit Judge of the 37th Judicial Circuit. He served until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, after which he returned to his law firm, which became known as Henry, Henry, Henry, Engelbrecht & Williams. He retired from legal practice in 2006.

Harold coached youth baseball and basketball, was a member of the Lions Club and the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, and devoted over 50 years to the First United Methodist Church, where he taught Sunday school, worked with youth groups, and served on the Board of Trustees. In 1995, he and his wife established the Judge Harold L. Henry Endowed Scholarship Fund at Missouri State University, helping dozens of students pursue higher education. He died on April 17, 2007, and is now buried in the Oak Lawn Cemetery, West Plains, Howell County, Missouri, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com