Jerry Dale Jenkins

Jerry Dale Jenkins was born May 20, l938 in Merit, Texas to parents Leonard and Ellen (Jones) Jenkins.

He was a Christian man and loved the Lord Jesus.  John 3:16 was his favorite verse.  Merit Texas is just a small town in Collin County, but to Jerry it was where his heart stayed!  His great grandfather, grandmother, mother, and Jerry with his only brother Royce were all born there at home.

Bertie Mama (his grandmother) and her bachelor brother (Uncle Guy) lived together, and Jerry loved to be with them, especially after living with them with his mother and Royce.  They were all so special to him.  He learned to play guitar and dobro in the country.

He had many adventures there, especially with his cousin Billy Wayne.  His mother had to ride the bus to Dallas to have a job in a variety store.  Times were hard and they hoed and picked cotton and grew gardens, but he was happy and never got over having to move to Dallas when his mother married his stepfather Melvin.  However, Melvin taught Jerry to work on cars and to love Fords.

Jerry went to Pleasant Grove schools and made lifelong friends.  He was in a hot rod club, “The Road Gems” and he took guitar lessons, loving music and also worked at A&P Supermarket.

Jerry and Sharon had their first date in the summer after he graduated from high school.  They went to a downtown dollar movie, “The Eddie Duchen Story.”  They held hands as we crossed the street and Sharon thought he was so polite.

They fell in love, but their parents felt they were too young to marry.  However, their parents did sign for them to get a marriage license because the legal age for marriage was 21.  They were married June 14, 1957 but could not vote and Jerry had to sign Sharon’s report cards when she was a senior the following year in high school.

They had 3 wonderful children and now have been blessed with 10 perfect (to them) grandchildren who are adding to the family with their own little ones.

Jerry had gone to Arlington Jr College and then attended a computer school.  He was so happy after working at First National Bank and Frankford Oil Company to get a job at Ford Motor Company!!  The computer he ran at Ford took up a whole room and he had key punch operators to enter the data.  When the Ford plant in Dallas closed, he chose to work at another computer so we could stay in Dallas.  That is when Ford called and asked him to come to work in the Dallas District Office.  He was incredibly happy and worked there for 30 years and retired on his birthday in 1998.

Jerry and Sharon did everything together; church, traveling, camping, and enjoying their family and friends.  He always loved hot rods and cars the most!  They purchased a Ford truck and trailer and enjoyed many years traveling with their mothers, children, and grandchildren.  The entire 63 years of marriage were spent loving family and friends and making many memories along the way.

Jerry was a loving father and a wonderful provider for his family. He always took us for amazing vacations and camping adventures. He taught his children how to fish and then cleaned the fish for them. He was always encouraging and taught his family an appreciation for family and country music. He will be missed very much.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife of 63 ½ years Sharon Jenkins; children Leah Renee Lynch and her husband Jack, Alan Dale Jenkins and Laurie Ann Jones; grandchildren Aaron and Melissa Edmondson, Caiti Lynch, Ashley Succuro and her husband Jason, Kristine Lamper and her husband Steven, Emily Adkins and her husband Jesse, Shelby Nelson and her husband Maurice, Dylan, Tiffany and Sarah Jones; great grandchildren Edric Marchman, Eamonn Lynch, Jade and Gage Succuro, Trey, Edikah and Will Jenkins, Rosemary Ann Adkins, Merlin and Severyn Nelson.

The family will receive friends for a visitation Sunday, March 21, 2021 form 2:00-4:00 P.M. at Allen Family Funeral Options, Plano, Texas.   A graveside service will be held Monday, March 22, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. at Grove Hill Cemetery, 4118 Samuell Blvd, Dallas, Texas.