Cleopatra Jenkins

Janie Cleopatra Jenkins A Woman of Quiet Dignity and Grace Cleo was born July 31, 1913 in Lauderdale County, Mississippi to Peter and Lula Brown. She was the eighth of twelve children. Cleo was married to Frederick Douglas Jenkins, Sr. for 50 years. They had four children: Frederick D. Jr. (deceased), Mark Anthony, Ronald Patrick (deceased), and Barbara Joyce. Cleo loved the Lord. She was a life-long member of the Church of God of Anderson - faithfully serving in many capacities. She was an active member of both the National Ushers Association and Women of the Church of God. For more than 50 years, she attended the National Association of the Church of God Summer Camp Meeting in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. Following high school in East St. Louis, Illinois, Cleo returned to Mississippi to marry, Fred, her childhood sweetheart who had built and furnished a home for her. After the birth of their first two children they relocated to Cleveland, Ohio in 1942. She worked outside of the home as a domestic while raising her family. In addition to her own, she helped raise other children. Her life was devoted to serving others. Whether as a skilled seamstress, a caregiver, or providing rides for other people, she was always willing to help. She was admired for her lawn and for her flower and vegetable gardens; and she willingly shared her knowledge and bounty with others. Cleo's love of nature was an inspiration to many. Cleo's life was one of extremes. The same skin that was baked by the sun as she worked the fields of Mississippi also felt the cool breezes as she lay on the beaches in the Caribbean. The same feet that walked the country roads of the segregated South, also walked the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The same eyes that saw 'For Colored' signs also saw the pyramids of Egypt. In her lifetime, she witnessed the election and inauguration of the first black president of the United States, Barack Obama. For a black woman born in 1913, Cleo exceeded what society expected. She traveled the world by land, air, and sea: from Alaska to Australia; from Pisa to Panama; from the Holy Land to the Hawaiian Islands, and points in between. Even though she never learned to ride a bike, her adventurous spirit led her to ride on the backs of a camel, a motorcycle and a snowmobile. Cleo leaves to cherish her memory one son, Mark of Inglewood, California; daughter, Barbara Reese of Cleveland, Ohio; one sister, Mildred Jeffers of Columbus, Ohio; nine grandchildren: Gregory, Frederick, Cheryl, Traci, Ronald, Troy, Aimee, Mark Jr., and Jennifer; and 14 great-grandchildren; many other precious relatives and dear friends. Wow! What a life.

Cleopatra Jenkins

July 31, 1913 - February 6, 2012