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On December 27, 2021, Kay Frances Braden left the fight of this life to be forever present with Christ her Savior. Proud of Texan (Fort Worth) descent, her family moved to the agricultural countryside surrounding Nashville when she was young. She attended Mt. Juliet High School and graduated. She married her classmate and high school sweetheart, Leonard Henson. The couple had three children, April Lynn, Robert Wayne and Michael Douglas Henson. A change in life circumstances set Kay and the kids on the move again, this time in the Washington countryside.
Although she is a full-time housewife, she turned her gift of singing and piano into a frequent job on stage, where she brightened up the performance of any ensemble. It was in 1971 that she met her future husband Bob Braden. They began a long-standing friendship and musical collaboration that will last for 50 years. Kay worked hard as a single mom to provide. In addition to music, she has worked in the service industry, as a retail department manager, and in restaurants, etc. A son, Clay Dylan Cottet, born in 1975, brought her a deeper desire to find her “forever”. It would prove elusive.
In 1989, after putting their group’s equipment in a shared warehouse, Bob was “firmly and forever” in love, and the couple never looked back. They got married in 1993 and Kay really enjoyed her role as “bonus mom” to Bob’s three daughters from a previous marriage. Life was sweet but just got sweeter with the inclusion of 8-year-old Janice Lapha into the family. Kay dedicated her life to this fragile little girl, who so badly needed stability. A period of placement led to Janice’s adoption in 2000, completing the family. A year later, a heart attack prompted Kay to shut down her successful Sunshine Clean agency and stay closer to home.
Her strong Christian faith and desire to obediently share this life-changing faith with others has kept her very active in Dayspring Baptist Church, as well as in their Safe Family Ministries missionary work. Kay was a teacher, nurturer, mentor, stay-at-home mom, deaconess, and steadfast loving friend. Meanwhile, the family, including Janice, have regained their musical voice, directing the worship music at Dayspring as well as the informal music education at SAFE. Kay relearns the guitar chords necessary to perform cult songs on her own, including her own compositions.
It seemed natural for this tender soul, rich in life experience, to effectively guide and encourage those around him. SAFE residents, friends, family and strangers have benefited from its balance between education and the “casual†structure. She was “Nana” to anyone who needed her and we are always grateful to have had her in our lives.
Kay was predeceased by her mother and stepfather, Juanita and Bill Ayers, father Wade Arwine, brother Marvin Arwine and two small children. She is survived by her daughter April (Gary) Fuston, Robert (Teresa) Henson, Michael (Linda) Henson, son Clay Cottet, daughter Janice (Robert) Hogan and “bonus” daughters Tawna (Nathan) Morris, E ‘Lan Braden and Aja (Ben Curtis) Perry. She is also survived by her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as her nephews and nieces. Additionally, she loved and is loved by Braden’s extended family and her religious community.
Please join our family in celebrating Kay’s life on Sunday, January 30, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at Dayspring Baptist Church, 2088 Jackson Highway, Chehalis, Washington, 98532. In lieu of flowers, don’t hesitate to support a charity. charity of your choice. Kay’s heart had been moved in support of Compassion International.
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