On April 3, 1963, my Dad, Paul Jenkins, preached at his Dad’s church in Tennessee.
Ben Jenkins had moved to Broyles Chapel in 1961. He had moved there from Ellicott City in Maryland probably to be closer to Paul and family.
It was a Wednesday evening. Dad was preaching a “revival.” This usually meant a series of extra services with a guest preacher.
His sermon notes begin: “How good it is to be back with the folks of Broyles’ Chapel Church. I believe this is my second time to preach here … the first time for a revival effort … Our series of meetings will not be long … Wednesday through Sunday … The time will pass quickly… ”
He then mentioned Ben, his dad, who must have been sitting and listening to his youngest son, the preacher.
“Life is moving quickly away from us all … Dad has commented many times on how fast life is getting away from him … that he must do what he is going to do before it is too late …”
Ben would die in a few years from pancreatic cancer (February 22, 1966).
But not before Paul accepted a pastorate in Flint Michigan and moved himself and his family to Michigan (1963).
Reading through my Dad’s old sermons helps me remember him.
Here he is with his cousin Bill.
I do love the look on his face in the picture above. I always felt that Dad kept a distance from me (and others as well). I didn’t know him as well as one can know a father. But I do believe he loved me and his family.
I’m not sure, but I think this is a picture of him as well.
Wow, there is really nothing like looking at old photos. So cool. Jeremy and I especially love the one with your dad balancing you in one hand. Amazing! And of course your dad looks so much like our Benjamin Michael Jenkins. So funny. Love you!!!
My Dad loved to balance infants in this way. He did it with his grandchildren as well (you included of course). I don’t know if we have pics of him doing with everybody.
Paul was actually very coordinated.
Glad you liked the pics. I have more time for myself these days which is leading me to read through Dad’s sermons.
Walk through memory lane, but still learning about him.
love to you and Jeremy from your Dad
Thats interesting. I was just thinking about the Jenkins history. Distinguishing between the Reoder clan and Jenkins and tracing our German/Cornish heritiage is proving to be quite a think and task.
I do believe my baby pictures look a lot like you as a baby in that picture of grampa holding you up with one hand. Guess that disproves the adoption theory.
David
You, me and Nicholas all look similar as babies and toddlers. Thanks for reading. Love from your Dad
Ok… I don’t want to burst any baloons here but there’s a reason that the picture of Steve looks like David.
It’s a picture of David. No Steve.
Look at the picture closely. Notice Dad’s physique and his sideburns. Look at the grey in his hair. That’s Paul Jenkins ca. 1972, not ca. 1952.
There are, somewhere, pictures of Dad holding Steve like this. I remember that picture. Dad looked quite young and skinny in it. There are also pics of Dad holding me like this. I’ve seen that one but don’t remember it as well. But in it I recall Dad weighing more. And I recognize this one of Dad holding David. I don’t know about the other grandkids.
From the pics I have seen, Dad was a skinny dude until around the time I was born. All the pics of him with Steve when Steve was a few years old have him as young, skinny with blond hair. Later his hair darkened and, eventually grayed…
And his physique … shall we say, his physique developed… A trajectory not unlike my own although I have outdone him in that regard.
A couple other things…
Is it Bill or Cousin Phil? I think that’s Cousin Phil… son of Sherman, Ben’s brother.
And, I think the picture of Ben standing by himself near water was, I’m pretty sure, taken at Belle Isle in Detroit. I have no idea of what he would have been doing there. I just think I remember the caption on the original pic. It’s clearly a picture of him from the forties or fifties. Before we moved to Michigan.
Well that explains why David thought I looked so much like him, I was him. My name was written on the photograph. That’s why I said it was me. Also, the label for the picture file said Cousin Bill. I don’t remember a cousin Bill. Cousin Phil sounds more plausible. I wondered where Ben was standing in that pic.
Ok. Well maybe the adoption theory is still afloat. =^)
Although…..
i do seem to be continually developing a strikingly similar physique as the Jenkins men.
You know….like the body of a Greek God….
What a fun family discussion…
Thanks for putting these up, dad. I didn’t know there were more family pics floating around that i hadn’t seen.
David, if you discover anything new about the jenkins history, please do pass it along. When you say Cornish, do you mean from the jenkins? Or roeder? I’m interested in any english links of course…
Love to you all. X
Sarah – thanks for reading…. love from Dad