Regenta Jenkins

Regenta Bass Jenkins, mother of James O. Jenkins, Jr., and his wife Gail, died on January 19, 2018, in Brenham, Texas, at the age of 100.

She was born October 11, 1917, in Hopeville, Calhoun County, Arkansas, the first child of Egbert Garland Bass and Eula Ramsay Bass. Her paternal great grandfather, Doctor Bass, was one of the first settlers of Calhoun County, and a founder of the town of Chambersville. Her maternal great grandfather, Squire Allison Ramsay, was one of the founders of the town of Princeton and Dallas County, Arkansas.

After graduation from Parkers Chapel High School, El Dorado, Arkansas, she attended Henderson State Teachers College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and received her BS degree from Stephen F. Austin State College in Nacogdoches, Texas. Upon finishing college, she became active in her father’s lumber company in East Texas where she remained until her marriage to James O. Jenkins, at which time she became a full time homemaker. After the birth of her son, James O. Jenkins, Jr. and the declining health of her husband, she became a teacher in the Vidor, Texas school system, where she remained until her retirement in 1985, having completed 31 years at the school. She taught middle school Texas history and geography, and loved to visit and read about locations featured in her classes.

She lived in Beaumont, Texas for more than 50 years, and she and her brother Harroll took care of their mother, Eula Bass, there for the last 21 years of her life. Family lore was that they must have done a good job because Eula Bass lived to be almost 106 years old, and was only ill for the last month of her life. In 2007, a few years after their mother’s death, she and her brother Harroll moved to Brenham, Texas, to be close to her son and daughter in law.

Regenta had three great loves: family, reading and travel. She treasured time with family members, young and old. She loved family reunions in Arkansas, and especially Easter and Thanksgiving celebrations in various family locations in Texas. She outlived all her siblings, cousins and friends, but enjoyed spending time with younger relatives in her later years.

Regenta’s other two loves were travel and reading. She customarily traveled with her son James in the summers during her teaching career. In addition to Arkansas, they often took driving trips through the South, although they also ventured up and down the East Coast, from Florida to New York. After James and Gail married, the three of them, along with her brother, Harroll, took frequent trips. In addition to visiting prior locations, they traveled to North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. They flew to Sun Valley, Idaho for 10 days, where they enjoyed seeing the beautiful Northwest U.S. They also took a two week trip to England and Scotland where they enjoyed seeing where her relatives originated near Edinburgh, Scotland. She and her brother Harroll had a lot of energy on trips. On the European trip, James and Gail were exhausted after the flight to London and had to nap, while Regenta and Harroll spent the afternoon walking through Hyde Park and seeing Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards. In 2007, Regenta, her two brothers and sister all met in Williamsburg, Virginia, and toured Jamestown during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the first English settlement in America.

Regenta loved to read books and collected quite a personal library. She enjoyed biographies and historical novels, but loved mysteries most of all. She adored a good used book sale, especially the Fortnightly book sale in Brenham. She said she had hit the jackpot with her daughter in law Gail, who loved books as much as she did. She was a book of the month club member for decades and enjoyed visiting book stores everywhere she traveled. She always left extra room in her luggage “just in case” she bought some books.

Regenta is survived by her son, James O. Jenkins, Jr., and his wife, Gail, of Brenham, Texas; niece, Kathy Bass Miller of Huntsville, Texas; four nephews: Keith Harroll Bass, and wife, Grace, of Huntsville, Texas; Kyle Ray Bass of Fischer, Texas; Rev. Bert E. Lyle, III, and wife, Susie, of Huntsville, Texas; Frank Lyle, and wife, Julie, of Argyle, Texas; six great nephews and six great nieces; three great, great nephews, and three great, great nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Eula Mae Lyle Tynes, and brothers, Egbert Harroll Bass and Hubert Allison Bass, as well as infant brother Cullen Bass.

Regenta was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Brenham, Texas. She became a Methodist early in life and was an active member for the rest of her life, until her health declined.

A graveside service will be held at Temperance Hill Cemetery, Fordyce, Arkansas, on Friday, January 26, 2018, at 1:00 p.m.

The family wishes to thank Bonnie Franke-Flynn and Maria Rodriguez of AMA Home Health Care for the excellent care they provided Regenta during that last several years of her life. They became like family, and she enjoyed their care and companionship.

Remembrances can be made to Temperance Hill Cemetery Association, care of Ruth Harrison, 2018 Parkwood Lane, Fordyce, Arkansas 71742.

Funeral arrangements for Regenta Jenkins are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 West Main, Brenham. To post a tribute to the family, visit www.memorialoakschapel.com.

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