Clarinda, IA: Jay Jenkins, 61, of Clarinda, Iowa, passed away from this life Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at his home in Clarinda following a brief illness.
Memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Nodaway Valley Funeral Home in Clarinda. Jessie Blanchard will officiate the service. Visitation with the family receiving friends will be held one hour prior to the service from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at Nodaway Valley Funeral Home.
Burial will be held privately at a later date by his family at the Braddyville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Jay Jenkins Memorial Fund. Memories can be shared with the family at www.nodawayvalleyfuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to the Nodaway Valley Funeral Home of Clarinda.
Robert Jay Jenkins was born on January 30, 1963, at Bethany, Missouri. The youngest of five children born to Gordon Max Jenkins and Shirley Rose (Milligan) Jenkins. Jay and the other siblings inherited the curly hair (he had quite a full head of it) and Dad’s brown eyes. He was a fun kid and always liked sports and our pets, maybe some a bit too much.
The family moved from Ridgeway, Missouri, to Maryville in 1977 as Jay was entering high school, graduated from Maryville High School in May of 1981. He then furthered his education attending Lincoln Tech School in Des Moines where he obtained a certificate in welding. Jay was a standout in the town-team softball leagues. He worked in construction, and factories; but he loved best the times he drove a truck. Jay loved his trucks; he could talk about them forever. He even could remember all the ones that his siblings have had, and many times reminisce about his father’s semis. His last employment was with Lisle Corp. in Clarinda.
Jay welcomed three children Crystal Lyon (J.R.) of St. Joseph, Mo., Kandi (Scott) Turner of Red Oak, and Kolby Jenkins of Springfield, Mo. He also has five grandchildren, Harley, Jude, Lukas, Max and Ellie. Jay was united in marriage to Linda Orme on July 22, 2011.
Jay was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws, Jim and Evelyn Whipple and brother-in-law Larry Parkhurst.
Jay is survived by his wife Linda of the home; children and grandchildren; brothers Victor (Lynda) Jenkins of Baldwinsville, New York, Curtis (Linda) Jenkins of Ravenwood, Mo.; sisters, Marsha (Danny) Shew of Princeton, Mo., and Monica (Lowell) Wood of Elmo, Mo.; three step-children, Casey Kamwanja, Brian Orme, Darin (Heidi) Orme; step grandchildren, Noah, Matthew, Andrew and Riley and many cousins, nieces and nephews.