Albert (Jack) Samuel Jenkins (1928-2019)
Jack, at age 90, died peacefully of natural causes, on the afternoon of January 30, 2019. Born Albert Samuel, on October 3, 1928, in Honolulu, Hawaii to Claude Homer Jenkins and Antonia Helen (Gomes) Jenkins, he was most often referred to as Jack by friends and family alike. The fourth of seven children all raised on a small ranch in Kona, Hawaii, he follows his older siblings, Claude Lee, Alice Ross and Irene Lewers as well as little sister, Betty Lou Ackerman, to rest in Christ. Jack is survived by his two younger siblings, Robert Manuel and Stella Aiu. His early outlook on life was shaped by the Great Depression, World War II, and his love for music, particularly Hawaiian Slack-Key, at which he was expert.
Jack graduated from Konawaena High School in 1946 and later attended the International Management Council, graduating in 1975 with a Certificate of Completion in Supervisory Management Leadership.
Always one to know what he wanted and achieve the goals he set for himself, Jack married his beloved wife, Emily (Nickie) Nickelson on February 3, 1951, in Kona after a short courtship of three months. Together they had five children: Laurie Anne Shatswell, Jill Helene Callaway, Jeffrey Jack, Rodney Lee and Michelle Nicolette Coelho. He is survived by his wife, all five children and their spouses (John Richard Callaway, Julia Ellanson, Renee Close and Paul Coelho) 15 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Jack's greatest love was that for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was an example of Christ's character and sought to help his family and neighbors achieve a lasting relationship with the God he so loved. To that end, he maintained a Christian used-book route in Springfield, Missouri for 10 years. Jack was a dedicated member of the international Bible Men's Fellowship and a very active member of both Calvary Community Church in San Jose , California, and Corner Stone Church in Springfield, Missouri.
With a spirit of adventure and determination to make his family's lives better, Jack moved from Hawaii to Belmont, California in 1957, where he was engaged as a diesel mechanic for the Greyhound Bus Line. In 1959, he started work at Kaiser Cement Corporation (Cupertino, CA) where his natural mechanical abilities and leadership skills were greatly appreciated raising him to Mobile Equipment Superintendent. Jack consulted all over the world on appraisals, purchases and repairs of heavy equipment. In 1985 he retired from Kaiser Cement moving to Marshfield, Missouri, to go back to his ranching roots. Jack was hard-working, occasionally stubborn, a bit of an entertainer on his harmonica and guitar, a great provider and planner for the future. Most of all he was a wonderful husband, a caring friend, and a loving father.
The family would like to thank all the family and friends who encircled Jack's life over the years.The family would also like to thank the staff at Magnolia Square and Marshfield Care Center for his care during the last years of his life.
Memorial services will be held at 2:30 p.m Sunday, February 10, 2019, at Greenlawn Funeral Home North, 3506 North National, Springfield, Mo. No visitation is planned.