Kinsey Jenkins Obituary

JENKINS, SR., Kinsey Kinsey John Hampton Jenkins, Sr., 89, a lifetime resident of Charleston, died on December 20, 2007 at the Charleston Hospice Center. Kinsey was born to Ernest and Amanda Jones Jenkins on April 16, 1918 in Charleston, SC. He was a graduate of Murray Vocational High School and worked at Cameron Barkley before becoming an apprentice plumber at W.K. Prause Co. Kinsey served in the US Navy during World War II. He was stationed in Japan as a member of the occupation forces from 1945 46. Following the war, he obtained a Master Plumbers license. He and George Holseberg formed a plumbing company partnership and were friends as well as partners. He later formed Kinsey Jenkins Plumbing and Heating, a company now run by his son, Randolph. Kinsey was known for his smile, his pleasing personality and his fair and kind treatment of all people. Kinsey joined the National Guard, Co. B. and the Washington Light Infantry in 1934. He was a member for 74 years and rose to the rank of Captain in the WLI. He was extremely proud of his membership in the WLI and what the WLI represents. He served in a number of offices in the WLI through the years. He was a Master Plumber for over 50 years and served as president of the S.C. Master Plumbers Association for two terms. He also belonged to the American Legion and served as Commander of Post 10 in Charleston. Kinsey was a 32nd degree Mason (Orange Lodge), Scottish Rite and a Shriner, (Omar Temple). He served as a member of the Temple Staff. He was also a member of the Charleston Elks Lodge, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Sons of the Confederacy and the Deutscher Bruderlicher Bund. Kinsey was a member of St. James Episcopal Church on James Island and had sung in the choir. Kinsey had three brothers and four sisters. He and his brothers all served on active duty during World War II. His mother was interviewed by the Charleston News and Courier during the war and stated that she always knew America would win World War II because her son's were coming at the enemy from the land (Wallace, U.S. Army), the air (Ernest, U.S. Army Air) and (William Micah, U.S. Army Airborne) and sea (Kinsey, U.S. Navy). He was a patriotic American and raised his children to love their country. Both of his sons also served in the military. Kinsey was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Lillie Mae Brooker Jenkins, and is survived by his wife, Annabelle Rumph Goehring Jenkins. He was a loving and caring father to his three children and their families, Kinsey J.H. Jenkins Jr. and his wife Doreen Williams Jenkins of Columbia, SC, Cynthia Jenkins Walton and her husband Ronald of Flower Mound, TX and Randolph S. Jenkins and his wife Sally Browne Jenkins of Charleston and a step son, Richard A. Goehring, Jr. and his wife Mandy of Charleston. He is survived by his grandchildren Micah and Stefanie Kennedy, Erin and Sean Tippins, K.J. Hampton III and Diana Jenkins, H. Tindal Jenkins and Lindsey M. Jenkins and a great grandson, T. Riley Jenkins and a great granddaughter, Stella Tippins. He is survived by his twin brother Ernest and sister Amanda Doscher, sister-in-law Dot Jenkins and brother-in-law William F. Owens, Sr. He was pre-deceased by his sisters Dot Griffin, Erna Beckman, Barbara Owens and by brothers Wallace and William. He is also survived by step grandchildren Richard Allen III and Dee Goehring and their children, Amy and David Gurley and their children, and Allison Goehring. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice Center, Hospice Care of Charleston, 676 Wando Park Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 or St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, 45 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29403 The service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 1872 Camp Road, James Island at 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 23. The family will receive friends following the service in the church hall. Interment, Churchyard. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.