Bob Jenkins spent a few weeks of respite stay at Heather Glen before he and his family decided that he would join us as a resident. Born in July of 1912, Bob surprises everyone when he tells them his age, and folks are eager to have a chat with him and hear about his life.
Bob was born on a farm near Ames, Iowa, and grew up in Boone County, working on the family farm from a young age. Valedictorian of his 1931 high school class, he went on to graduate from nearby Iowa State College in 1934 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Although jobs were scarce, he was hired by Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing of Milwaukee for a temporary position to work at their branch in Des Moines, assigned to drive a model tractor across Iowa demonstrating a new feature — rubber tires. He was soon hired by the company as an engineer, starting at 45 cents an hour.
In Milwaukee, Bob met Helen, who became his wife in 1939. He says that they “made a strong, loving team,” raising a son and a daughter.
Bob joined Schield Bantam Company in 1948, establishing a dealer organization for eastern Canada and the US northeast, setting up dealers in at least 22 locations. In 1949, the family moved to Binghamton, NY, and returned to Iowa in 1955 when transferred by the company to Waverly. When the company was sold to Koehring, Bob became a sales manager for the southeastern district and moved the family to Jacksonville, FL.
Bob and the family were always active in church, and Bob was a Rotarian, Mason, and a Shriner. In retirement, he and Helen travelled extensively and enjoyed their three grandchildren. Later in life, their daughter moved in to help care for Helen and Bob, remaining with Bob after Helen passed away. After their daughter’s death, Bob moved from Jacksonville to Brevard to live with his son and daughter-in-law.
We are delighted that Bob’s son found Heather Glen when looking for respite stay for his dad and that Bob now happily calls Heather Glen home. He enjoys interacting with
other residents, staff, and visitors and participates in many group activities. An avid reader, he enjoys our library and recently re-read a favorite book, “All Creatures Great and Small.”