Lee Allen Henderson

Lee Allen Henderson, beloved son of Alvin and Iola (Andersen) Henderson, was born December 24, 1950, in Yankton, SD. He received his education in Beresford, SD through seventh grade before moving to Paullina, Iowa where he graduated from Paullina High School in 1969. He continued his education at Iowa Lakes Community College and then Minnesota State College in Mankato, Minnesota.

Lee was born to rock-n-roll. It was one of Lee’s greatest joys and remained a lifelong passion. At the age of four, Iola bought him a guitar to bribe him into saying his name. That small gift sparked a love of music she could never stop and shaped his life. His ability to play music by ear and pick up any instrument he wished was amazing. Coupled with his focus on the baseline, it became the foundation of the harmonies the bands played. By the age of 14, he had formed his first band, The Hand Me Downs. Lynn fondly remembers them playing their first gig in the high school gym with his friends The Hand Me Downs. He and his brother, Craig, played with several bands through high school: The Road Runners, The Rain, The Activators, Somethin’ Blue, to name a few. His favorite time was at the Roof Garden being the front band for The Turtles.

Lee continued to play around the four state areas of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Bands include The Ozone Rangers, Betty Lou, CBL, Cowpoke, Saloon Gun Band, Smokin Red, Marlo, Sundown, and The Runaways. He was proud to be in the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame with the band The Sensational Soul Company and The Fabulous Somethin’ Blue.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Lee passed away at Avera McKennan Hospital from dialysis complications. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, whose memories he carried with him.

Lee will be deeply missed by his wife, Lynn; one daughter and her husband, Jenny and Anthony Schneider of Fort Collins, CO; one son, Ryan of Spencer; and one sister and her husband, Beth Henderson and Randy Rainey of Placitas, NM; along with many other relatives and friends.

A celebration of life will be held at Oneota Park, 420 10th Ave SE, in Spencer on Sunday, October 25th, starting at 1:00 PM.

There will be food, drinks, music and lots of stories to be shared.