Marguerite Henry
Born the youngest of five children to Louis and Anna Breithaupt on April 13, 1902, Henry grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she was six years old, she fell prey to rheumatic fever, which kept her close to home until the age of twelve. Marguerite wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weakened state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. During this period of isolation, she discovered the joy of reading and developed a rich imagination. Henry's love of animals grew up during her childhood. She also discovered her love for writing when her parents gifted her with a writing desk for Christmas. Henry later said, "At last I had a world of my very own -- a writing world, and soon it would be populated by all the creatures of my imagination." (1)
Henry sold her first story at the age of 11 titled, Hide-and-Seek in Autumn Leaves. (2) Later, she wrote about many different animals, but for the most part her stories focused on horses.
She attended college at Milwaukee State Teachers College. On May 5, 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. Although they didn't have children during their 64 years of marriage, they had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite’s stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1945, Henry began a twenty-year professional partnership with artist Wesley Dennis. She recalled " I had just finished writing Justin Morgan Had a Horse, and wanted the best horse artist in the world to illustrate it. So I went to the library, studied the horse books, and immediately fell in love with the work of Will James and Wesley Dennis. When I found out that Will James was dead, I sent my manuscript to Wesley Dennis." (3) Henry and Dennis eventually produced over 20 books together.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an immediate success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
1. Marguerite Henry, Dear Readers and Riders, Rand McNally, 1969, p. 200
2. "Marguerite Henry" (http://www.mistyofchincoteague.org/author.html). Misty of Chincoteague Foundation (mistyofchincoteague.org). Retrieved 2015-01-26
3. Marguerite Henry, Dear Readers and Riders, Rand McNally, 1969, p. 207
Henry sold her first story at the age of 11 titled, Hide-and-Seek in Autumn Leaves. (2) Later, she wrote about many different animals, but for the most part her stories focused on horses.
She attended college at Milwaukee State Teachers College. On May 5, 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. Although they didn't have children during their 64 years of marriage, they had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite’s stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1945, Henry began a twenty-year professional partnership with artist Wesley Dennis. She recalled " I had just finished writing Justin Morgan Had a Horse, and wanted the best horse artist in the world to illustrate it. So I went to the library, studied the horse books, and immediately fell in love with the work of Will James and Wesley Dennis. When I found out that Will James was dead, I sent my manuscript to Wesley Dennis." (3) Henry and Dennis eventually produced over 20 books together.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an immediate success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
1. Marguerite Henry, Dear Readers and Riders, Rand McNally, 1969, p. 200
2. "Marguerite Henry" (http://www.mistyofchincoteague.org/author.html). Misty of Chincoteague Foundation (mistyofchincoteague.org). Retrieved 2015-01-26
3. Marguerite Henry, Dear Readers and Riders, Rand McNally, 1969, p. 207
