Meet Mrs. Lillian Jenkins
Biographical article regarding Lillian Jenkins and her family. This and other articles may be found in the Leo W. JenkinsScrapbook File in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: Moore, Patricia."Meet Mrs. Jenkins," Daily Reflector, January 9, 1960.
Meet Lillian Jenkins, the wife of newly-elected East Carolina College President, Leo W. Jenkins, and the mother of six children -- all varied ages.
Lillian Jenkins was born in Lavallette, N.J., "a delightful spot" located on the beach, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Jacobsen, She had two brothers. One, Dr. Randoff Jacobsen, is now supervising principal in a Springfield, N.J. high school. Her other brother is deceased.
She attended Trenton State Teachers College, where she obtained her B.S. degree in Education.
It was during her seven-year teaching career that she met Leo Jenkins, while he was teaching in Sommerville, N.J., where she lived. She commuted a short distance away to her teaching job.
In 1942 they were married, and about the same time Jenkins went into military service. While he was stationed in California, their first baby was born, in 1944. Then, when her husband was called to overseas duty, Mrs. Jenkins returned to New Jersey to live with her mother.
After the war, the Jenkins resided in Montclair, N.J., where he was an instructor at a state teacher college. Later he became Assistant Director of Higher Education for the State of New Jersey.
Then came the move South, when Jenkins accepted a position as Dean of East Carolina College. Here several of the Jenkins children were born, and all have Southern accents now.
The accents are special to Mrs. Jenkins, who has a little New Jersey accent. She loves to hear the children talk, and she likes the Southern accent. This is home to her, she says.
The children, three boys and three girls, are Jimmy, who will be 16 next week; Jeff 11; Suzane, nine; Patty, seven; Sallie, five; and Jack, three.
Mrs. Jenkins is a great believer in her family’s coming first. She enjoys spending the winter nights helping her children with their homework, watching television when they finish, or just "sitting around talking."
But she says she thinks the family "just lives for the summers." In summertime, the Jenkins swim a great deal -- Mrs. Jenkins has taught her children how to swim, and uses the college pool during winter. It is one of her favorite sports. The Jenkins use their own backyard pool in summer.
They enjoy summer picnics, too, and so far, she says, all the family has wanted to go on them. For instance, last summer, the Jenkins family spent almost every Sunday (after attending Sunday school) at Atlantic Beach, where they took their family picnic.
Along the line of vacations, Mrs. Jenkins loves the family vacation -- when everyone boards the station wagon. Last summer they toured scenic spots in Florida, Her favorite place is the ocean.
They attend most of the Little League ball games here, since the two older boys have played. Once the family built a miniature golf course in their backyard -- but the grass overcame that. And they’ve had the typical basketball goals, volleyball sets, and swings. A park has been nearby for other recreational facilities.
Mrs. Jenkins’ personal interests are working with flowers -- she prefers gardenias -- and she loves to read.
She was president of the Brookgreen Garden Club the second year of its operation. She said she had a greenhouse in the yard, until one cold winter froze everything.
She particularly likes to do her own rooting and cutting. The reason Mrs. Jenkins likes the gardenia so much is that it is a sturdy flower and its leaves are good to work with.
Her kitchen is filled with her plants. In other parts of the home are plants neighbors and friends have given her.
Mrs. Jenkins is a member of the Aries Book Club, in which she has held almost every office. She was a charter member.
The whole family belongs to St. James Methodist Church. No child old enough to attend has missed a Sunday in Sunday school since the church was built.
Along the cooking line, she likes to do her own cooking, and Norwegian foods are her specialty --she is of Norwegian descent.
In about a month, possibly more or less, the Jenkins family will move from their brown home on Rutledge Road to the big stone home in front of East Carolina College. For the first time, the State of North Carolina will furnish part of the home, with Jenkins doing the rest.
