ELIZABETH (BETTY) JENKINS

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ELIZABETH (BETTY) JENKINS On May 3, 2011, Elizabeth (Betty) Jenkins. Our dear Mother, beloved Grandmother (Nana), Great-Grandmother, Aunt, Great-Aunt and Friend, died peacefully in her sleep at the Convalescent Home of Winnipeg after many years of struggle with congestive heart failure. She was born August 26, 1925 at c, Yorkshire, England and was the youngest of seven children of Charles and Hannah Ineson. She was raised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, attending the Lancaster Girls Grammar School. She married her husband, William (Bill) Walter Jenkins, a Canadian soldier, in May 1946 and immigrated to Canada in September 1946 as part of the great influx of War Brides' after the Second World War. She was predeceased by Bill in 1995 after 49 years of marriage. During the Second World War, Mum was in the Home Guard, the Royal Observer Corps and worked for the Canadian Treasury (Overseas) where she met Bill after he had recuperated from wounds received in Normandy, France. Mum is survived by her three children, Linda (Joe) Toews of Toronto, Ross (Arah) Jenkins of Ottawa and Terry Jenkins of Winnipeg. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Deanna (Chris) Toews-Clark, Brenda (Chris) Knapp, Johanna (Terje) Jenkins-Hanssen, Vonn Jenkins, Leah (Dan) Jenkins-Arbour, Mike Jenkins and Charlene (Paul) Young and nine great-grandchildren - Cameron, Kristy, Russell, Katharina, Patricia, Freyja, Edward, Benjamin and Eloise. In addition, she is survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews in both England and Norway. During her busy married life, Mum lived in Winnipeg and worked for several different organizations including the Provincial Government, Office Overload and Sanford Evans Publications where she was editor of the Grocer publication and assistant editor of the Trade and Commerce magazine. She was also active in the trade union movement helping with publications for Bill's union local and producing campaign literature for him when he became involved in municipal and, later, provincial politics as a member of the NDP. She was a member of the Canadian Women's Army Corps (C.W.A.C.s) Reserve for a short time in the 1950s. In later life she was briefly on the Board of the Children's Aid Society of Winnipeg and was a member of the Junior League of Winnipeg. Mum's interests were many and varied and she loved reading, letter writing, musical theatre and Broadway shows, family gatherings and especially travel with Bill. Together, or occasionally separately, they travelled to England and spent much time with their English relatives and friends, as well as travelling to France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Holland, all over Canada and the USA. Mum had a keen interest in politics and once represented Canada as a member of the Voice of Women in The Hague, Netherlands to protest the Multilateral Nuclear Fleet pact at the height of the Cold War'. Mum liked to plan well ahead, sometimes being packed weeks before a trip took place. She never forgot a friend or a birthday or an anniversary and always tried to be positive and supportive. She loved all her family dearly and was generous both emotionally and fiscally with them. The most fitting epitaph for Mum is an expression that she used often when she had completed a difficult or time consuming task and it sums up her long and colourful life with a brevity and clarity that is difficult to surpass - Well, that is one less thing to worry about! A memorial service will be held for Elizabeth Jenkins at Glen Eden Funeral Home, 4477 Main Street on Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice in her memory. Glen Eden Funeral Home 338-7111 www.gleneden-mb.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 07, 2011