Our Common Connection
Garrison and Delia Jenkins are my great-great-grandparents—the parents of my great-grandfather Tom Jenkins. They form the shared roots for many of us in the family.
What first led me to them was the paper trail. An uncle mentioned our McComb, Mississippi origins. That tip led me to the 1900 U.S. Census, where I found Uncle JayGou (Jay Gould) living with his parents, brothers, and sister. Those brothers included Will and Tom. DNA matches and the couple’s death certificates came later and confirmed what the records had already suggested.
Garrison Jenkins
We do not have a photograph of Garrison, but we do have a clear visual record of Mama Delia. Garrison was a farmer and said to be a hard worker.
His 1933 death certificate states he was born in 1827 in Marion County, Mississippi. Marion County is home to the Foxworth plantations. Family lore holds that Fox or Foxworth may have been the original surname of our line. The origin of the Jenkins name and any possible connection to the Foxworth plantations will receive its own dedicated post.
Family tradition identifies his father as Papa Fox Jenkins, also possibly known as Henry Jenkins, whose origins point to Virginia. The identity of Garrison’s mother remains unknown. Oral history says she spoke with an accent and had recently arrived on a slave ship. She is said to have died not long after Garrison’s birth in an accident.
Garrison had three probable brothers who appear with him in Pike County in the 1900 U.S. Census: Bob, Willie, and John. DNA establishes connections to Willie and John Jenkins. A sister named Zelda has also been identified, though documentation on her remains limited.
Delia Raspberry Newman
In 1872 Garrison married Delia Raspberry Newman. Little is recorded about her early life; she was not known for speaking much about her family. Relatives describe her as self-educated, intelligent, and humble. She taught her children and grandchildren how to read and write.
Family history and surviving photographs show that Delia had a light complexion. I suspect she may have been bi-racial, though this remains an open question.
Their Children
Garrison and Delia were the parents of Catherine, George, Will, Emmaline, Monroe (also known as Marvin), Tom, Levi, and JayGou (Jay Gould).
Garrison died in 1933; his death certificate lists the cause as senility. Delia died in 1929 from a stroke. At the time of their deaths both were living with their son Levi Jenkins Sr., who served as the informant on both certificates.
Repeating Names Across Generations
The family shows a strong pattern of repeating names. My great-aunt Delia was almost certainly named for her paternal grandmother. My grandfather Levi carried the name of his uncle Levi. Tom Jenkins, the head of our line, had both a nephew and a great-nephew named Tommie. Will/Willie appears repeatedly as well.
Even Garrison was not left out of the pattern. His brother Willie (William O. Jenkins) named one of his own sons Garrison. A distant relative once told me that this younger Garrison was also known as Shorty.
Open Questions
Garrison had a significant age gap with the brothers listed in the 1900 census. Bob, the oldest of that group, was born in December 1857. This suggests there were likely additional siblings between Garrison and Bob who have not yet been identified.
One possible lead appears in the 1870 U.S. Census for Claiborne County, Mississippi. A household there includes a William and a Henry, along with a woman named Patsey who may have been the mother of the younger sons. The connection is not yet solid. While I believe Henry Jenkins was Garrison’s father, the evidence indicates that Patsey was too young to have given birth to Garrison himself.
Family Photographs
 |
| Mama Delia with her boys JayGou to her right and Levi to her left |
 |
| Delia & Garrison's grave at Spring Beulah Church — Ruth, MISSISSIPPI |
 |
| Aunt Catherine Jenkins Manning |
.jpg) |
| Uncle Levi Jenkins |
 |
| Uncle JayGou Jenkins |
And, to illustrate the repeating-name tradition, here is Delia Jenkins—granddaughter of Garrison and Delia and daughter of Tom Jenkins.
 |
| Aunt Delia Jenkins |
Appreciations
Early in this research, especially after receiving my AncestryDNA results, I received valuable information about Garrison and his background from a granddaughter of Uncle JayGou. For that reason I often think of him as one of our family historians; he passed down a great deal of knowledge to his descendants.
Additional information had also came from the family of Uncle Levi Jenkins. I look forward to speaking with more of them in the near future to learn what further details they may hold.
If you would like a copy of the family history booklet released at the 2026 Jenkins Family Reunion, please email me.
 |
| E-Mail Me! |
Just remember the next Jenkins Family Reunion will be in Portland, Oregon in 2028.