If I had to write this Jenkins' line family history the only way I could talk about it is through the lens of this branch - the Tom Jenkins branch.
To be honest a lot of the information shared here was very new to me. Long before starting this project for all I knew Tom just came to be. He was so far in the past, him having parents or even a brother or sister wouldn't have even occurred to me.
And to find so much information on his family before even my grandfather (his oldest son) came into the picture it's been amazing. And to be able to meet and speak with so many of his great-neices and nephews who know a lot more about the history than I do has been very awesome.
Also to know, that Tom has been remembered over the years leading me to believe he left with something of a reputation. Anyone I ever spoke to about our family history whether I'm speaking to the descendants of Uncle Levi, JayGou or even Aunt Catherine every one seems to know about their uncle Tom.
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| Tom Jenkins (1890?-1934) |
Sorry I had to throw that in there. Huge Roman Reigns fan, this is how I view my great-grandfather even if our lives were never to intersect.
In about 1890, Tom Jenkins was born to his parents Garrison Jenkins and the former Delia Newman in Pike County, Mississippi. He was seen in the enumeration for the 1900 U.S. Census in Pike County with brothers & sister, George, Will, Marvin (Monroe), Emmaline, Levi, and JayGou.
At some point after the census was taken, Tom and his brothers Will and Monroe had to leave their family home due to a problem they encountered with a white person in the nearby town of Holmesville. Anyone who is descended from the family left behind in McComb seems to remember Tom as it seems he had some kind of reputation. Many of them give due to the brothers who had to leave home and make that long journey to the Mississippi Delta region.
The information I had found suggests that Tom, Will, and Monroe had arrived in the Bolivar County, Mississippi town of Shelby (my grandfather's draft card shows that he was born there). According to the legal documents regarding the sale of Tom's land near Mound Bayou, Mississippi was conveyed to him in 1908.
In 1914, Tom with his wife the former Georgia Johnson conveyed a half-interest in the land to his brother Will Jenkins. However, Uncle Will (and his wife Cora Dancy Jenkins was noted in those documents) had returned his interest to his brother Tom's land in 1919.
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| Tom Jenkins 1908 Marriage Record Bolivar County, MISS |
Tom married Georgia in 1908 and had the following children: Levi, Lucy, Delia, Nazareth (Nazarine/Nazra/Sade who died in her teenage years), Willie B., David, Bertha, Doris, and Augusta. Tom & Georgia has one surviving daughter. It was also known that they had other children who didn't survive, however, their identities are unknown.
While Tom was known for his land, he and his wife were also known for owning businesses such as a store or gas station in Mound Bayou. Traits noted of Tom by his descendants was that he was known as a gambler and a drinker, which lead to one notion about his demise.
I wanted to procure Tom's death certificates with the idea of knowing who his parents were although the papertrail — primarily the U.S. Census which showed him living with his family — answered that question. His death certificate shows that he died of an abscess of the liver, which could be from alcohol abuse. One story that was cited by my uncle, Tom's grandson was that he was very ill from a snakebite which could also have caused the abscess.
Tom had died in March 1934, aged 44 according this death certificate. His son Levi (who was the informant on one of Tom's death certificates) and daughters Lucy & Delia were of age at that time. Mama Georgia was left to continue raising the children he left behind. And she continued to work the land Tom had left behind with their grandchildren.
Tom was said to have been buried at the Spring Hill Baptist Church that was near his land in Mound Bayou. Georgia had passed away in 1980 and she too was buried there at that time. Presumably Delia (who died in the early 1950s) and Nazareth/Sade were buried there as well.
The site of Spring Hill unfortunately has long been abandoned. I have been to that site at least three times in my life with the last time being in 2009. I have never seen an identifiable cemetery there as the site appears to be overgrown with thicket.
The first time I was there, the building that probably was the church itself was still standing although not safe to enter. In the ensuing years after that first visit the building was removed and still visually hard for me to imagine anyone being buried there.
Given that Tom's parents are buried at Spring Beulah Church in Ruth, Mississippi, I've just decided there was a spiritual connection given the appearance of Spring with both churches. Perhaps one day the family can claim that land and give those who may or may not have headstones the care they should have for their final resting places.
Tom Jenkins First World War draft registration
According to the 1900 US Census out of Pike County, Tom's birthday was in May 1880. Tom's birth year on his death certificates were listed as 1890. This draft registration which shows his nearest relative as his wife Georgia shows his birthday as Dec. 15, 1883. It's unknown why this date was used.
When I shared this with my uncle - Tom's grandson - he thought his grandfather's signature resembled that of his own father Levi Sr.
Tom & Georgia's progeny
While I prefer using captions the below photo isn't so easy as there are a lot of people in it. Also I wanted to avoid being so heavy on obituaries in this section. Two of Tom & Georgia's daughters are in this pic along with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In the center are the newlyweds, Eddie Morris and the former Magnolia Jenkins (daughter of Levi Jenkins Sr.). On the far left is Berneice Seaton Jackson (daughter of Delia Jenkins) and her aunt Doris Lee Jenkins Grigsby. To the right of Magnolia is her sister Willie Mae Jenkins Surles (daughter of Levi Jenkins Sr.). The shorter lady is Tom's daughter Bertha Jenkins McGee and immediately behind her on the far right is Willie Mae's husband Lamont Surles.
I shared this pic already on this blog, below is the 2nd born son of Tom Jenkins after Levi Jenkins Sr. (who is the oldest, born in 1909) - Willie B. Jenkins. After his service in the US Military during the Second World War he moved to Portland, Oregon and raised his family there. He died in 1977.
Here's the first obituary though I will share another pic with him in happier times. I never thought I would find an obit of David Jenkins and found one via Ancestry. This was a very nice picture of him, he died in a car accident near Indianapolis, Indiana not long after his brother Willie B.'s death in 1977.
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| Source: The Indianapolis News |
Here's a photo of David Jenkins with brother Augusta Jenkins (Uncle Gus) found in the Jenkins FB group
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Here's Lucy Jenkins Jones with her husband Lee Jones (aka Uncle Lee)
Below is the best pic possible I have of my grandfather Levi Jenkins Sr. He's with his mother Georgia Johnson at the 1977 funeral of his brother David Jenkins in Indianapolis, Indiana
Here's Tom & Georgia's family living in Beat 3 of Bolivar County, MISS living in an area excluding Winstonville & Mound Bayou recorded in the renumeration fot he 1930 U.S Census. At this point Augusta wasn't yet born.
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| 1930 US Census - Bolivar County, MISS |
I'm still looking for pics - especially a better pic of my grandfather Levi Jenkins Sr. - and of the others. I understand there's a pic out there of Delia Jenkins. My e-mail is below, if you have any stories to tell about any of the people mentioned here I would like to hear about it.
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| Send an e-mail |
And of course if you don't want me to publish let me know.
We're a month away from the Jenkins Family Reunion in Memphis July 17-19, 2026. Who's ready?