Berniece Blondell Jenkins
Berniece Jenkins
Oskaloosa. Berniece Blondell Jenkins, 92, of Oskaloosa passed away from a heart attack at the Mahaska Hospital in Oskaloosa on August 7, 2010. She was born in Beacon, Iowa, on January 18, 1918, the daughter of Johannes Marius and Nelly Rus Kempenaar. She graduated from the Oskaloosa High School with the class of 1936. Following high school she went to work for Dr. E.B. Wilcox, M.D. for four years. On October 2, 1938, she was united in marriage to E. Rex Jenkins, Rex died December 7, 2001. Following their marriage Berniece worked as a bookkeeper for her husband in Jenkins Plumbing and Jenkins Auto Sales. Both Berniece and Rex were active in their church home and with many community activities. They will be missed by many in the local area. Her grandchildren brought out, a very creative side of Berniece, one way she displayed her creativity was writing children’s books for them about a mouse named Archibald. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and friends.
Berniece is survived by a daughter and her husband Sally and Bill Morrow of Oskaloosa; and two sons and their wives: Carl R. and Alyce Jenkins of Cedar Falls, and John J. and Jan Jenkins of Flagler Beach, Florida; five grandchildren: Thomas Walter Jenkins, John Joseph Jenkins II, Robert Anthony Jenkins, Sherri Lynn Morrow, and Joseph Rex Harold Morrow; 8 great grandchildren
In addition to her husband she was preceded in death by her parents, and a brother William “Ruis” Kempenaar
Funeral services for Berniece Jenkins will be held on Thursday, August 12, 2010, at 1 pm at the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Reverend Harold Schutte officiating. Burial will be in the Forest Cemetery at Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will begin Wednesday after 10 a.m. at the Bates Funeral Chapel and the family will be at the funeral chapel on Wednesday evening from 5:30 —7:30 to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
SOURCE: Bates Funeral Chapel
