Barbara Brown Jenkins

Lenoir, NC- Barbara Brown Jenkins, age 67, of Lenoir, passed in to the care of her Heavenly Father on June 11, 2009. A loving wife, mother and grandmother, Mrs. Jenkins was a devout member of the First United Methodist Church in Lenoir where she was a past member of the Genesis Sunday school class and sang in the Chancel Choir and the Young at Heart Choir. She was also a member of the Red Hats Society. Barbara had served on the Worship Committee and chaired the church’s unique cookbook project entitled, “Home Cooking and a Delightful Peek at Grandma’s Drawers” which was a fund-raising project for the renovation of the sanctuary. The book enjoyed three printings. In addition to containing prized recipes of its congregants, this book also collected remembrances of its membership prior to 1955 and has preserved those memories for future generations. In 1997, while awaiting the birth of her first grandchild, Mrs. Jenkins created a one-of-a-kind heirloom christening gown that combined symbols of her strong Christian faith. Every lace chosen, every design included in the gown bore testament. When it was first seen, the gown received such unexpected interest that it was featured in a major article in The Charlotte Observer. Church and civic organizations requested that she make presentations to their organizations explaining how the gown evolved and its symbolism. The gown has been worn by each of her four grandchildren at their respective baptisms. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1998, Barbara undertook a project to create paraments for her church. Every fabric, trim and symbol was selected with precision and each stitch sewn to perfection. Born October 12, 1941 in Lexington, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Gilbert Lindsay and Kathleen Hite Brown. A graduate of Lexington High School and Erskine College, Barbara battled brain cancer for 5 ½ years and was supported both by the loving care of her husband, Frank and prayers of congregations from Maine to Florida. Her neighbors, friends and church family sustained her and Frank with an extraordinary outpouring of support. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, G. Franklin Jenkins of the home; two sons, David Franklin Jenkins and wife Jana of Raleigh, NC; Brian Wesley Jenkins and wife Cindy of Atlanta, GA; four grandchildren, Tyler and Lindsay Jenkins of Raleigh, NC; Davis and Emily Jenkins of Atlanta, GA; one sister, Linda Brown Donald and husband Stan of Lexington, VA; two brothers, Gilbert Kenneth Brown and wife Jean of Charlottesville, VA and Ronald L. Brown of Montvale, VA. A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held 2:00 PM Sunday, June 14, 2009 at the First United Methodist Church in Lenoir. Following the service, the family will gather with friends in the Christian Life Center. The family respectfully requests memorials be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Street, Lenoir, NC 28645 or First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 309 Church Street, NW, Lenoir, NC, 28645. Online condolences may be sent to the Jenkins Family at www.evansfuneralservice.com Evans Funeral Service of Lenoir is serving the Jenkins Family. PDF Printable Version