Grace Jenkins

Grace Beatrice Brown Jenkins passed away unexpectedly on December 27, following a stroke suffered on Christmas night. Born April 2, 1921, in St. Paul, Minnesota, she was the eldest of three daughters born to Hugh Charles and Beatrice Thomson Brown. When she was quite young, the family moved to Oakland, California, where Grace spent much of her childhood, and then to La Grange Park, Illinois where she completed high school, graduating from Lyons Township High School in 1938. In November 1940, following two years of college, she was employedby Ernst & Ernst in Chicago, for comptometer work. According to her employer, she showed "a keen interest in accounting work and hasconsiderable aptitude for the type of clerical and mathematical review which is required in our checking department. At the present time she supervises three others...and at times...there may be four or five people working under her direction. She also has supervision of the filing of our reports and working papers. We also have used her for relief duty on the switchboard. On the recommendation of her Chicago employer, Grace was hired by Ernst & Ernst New York when her family moved there in 1943. Several years later, the family returned to the Chicago area, where Grace went back to work for her former employer who soon sent her to Kentucky to do accounting for Berea College. Once there, she met a young man just returned from World War II by the name of Carl Jenkins. They married in Berea in August 1948. Soon after, Carl and Grace moved to Laramie where Grace once again worked as an accountant while Carl earned his Master's Degree in Geology. In 1950, when Carl got a job as district geologist for Sinclair Oil Company, they moved to Casper "temporarily". Within six years, they were the parents of three children. When the youngest was in grade school, Grace returned to work as an accountant for Raab, Roush & Gaymon, and later, McGladry, Hendrickson & Pullen. Despite her roots as a "city girl", Grace developed an enduring love for Wyoming. She enjoyed snowshoeing to the family cabin on Casper Mountain in the winter and sitting on its porch with a glass of wine and a bowl of popcorn on summer evenings. Multiple camping trips throughout the summers saw Grace, garbed in jeans, a flannel shirt and a jacket with the sleeves turned up, cooking freshly caught trout on the Coleman stove, striding through the woods with children and dogs in tow, or singing around the campfire as her children laughed and covered their ears. Grace became extremely active in the community and leaves a lasting legacy of civic and philanthropic works. She was a longtime member and past president of the Casper League of Women Voters and served for many years as precinct judge for the Pineview Precinct. Grace served on the Casper Zoning Board of Adjustment and was the first woman to serve as a member of the Casper Planning Commission. Her influence can be seen in downtown Casper today in the trees and planters that line Second Street. The Platte River Parkway Trust was first envisioned in 1968 when the City of Casper Beautification Committee, chaired by Grace, toured the river frontage. Grace later served on the board of directors for the Platte River Parkway Trust, as well as the boards of directors for Seton House and Wyoming Planned Parenthood. She was a dedicated supporter of the Casper Humane Society and a member of the Democratic Women's Forum, the Peripatetic Book Club, and a charter member of Geo Wives. She was an enthusiastic fan of art, artists, theatre and music, and was active with the Wyoming Symphony Guild and served on the symphony board of directors, including a term as president. She brought opera to Casper, and her patronage included the Casper College Krampert Theatre, Stage III, the Nicolayson Art Museum and the Casper Chamber Music Society. A staunch advocate for women and children, Grace was a supporter of the Wyoming Women's Foundation and CASA, and she frequently gave money or rendered assistance to women less fortunate than herself. She was a member of the Petroleum Club, the Council on Foreign Relations, and a lifetime member of Kappa Delta Sorority. Grace is survived by her daughter Paulie Jenkins and son-in-law Ted Carlsson of Long Beach, California; her son Hugh Jenkins of Casper; her daughter Kathy Jenkins and grandson Conor O'Donnell of Cheyenne; her granddaughter Sara O'Donnell of Laramie; and a sister Alice Pullmanof Middletown, Rhode Island. Her dog, Rob, will miss his nightly lullaby and their walks along the Platte at Morad Park. A private family burial will take place at the Oregon Trail State Veteran's Cemetery where Grace will be buried next to her husband. On Saturday, January 7, the family invites friends to gather to remember Grace from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Casper Petroleum Club. In remembrance of Grace, her family requests donations to the Nicholayson Art Museum, the Casper Humane Society, the Wyoming Women's Foundation, or the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra.