Connie Kay Jenkins Obituary (1946 - 2022)

Connie Kay Jenkins, 75, of Mt. Zion, went to Heaven on Tuesday, May 17th, 2022, in her home with her husband and family by her side. She was born September 10th, 1946, in Quincy, Illinois, and was the daughter of Roger and Maxine (Wollbrink) Allen. Connie married Phillip Jenkins on August 21, 1966 in Lima, Illinois. She was a teacher. It didn't matter where she was or who her audience was, she was always a teacher. She was teaching school curriculum, but she was also teaching about life and developing children into the men and women she knew they could be, even when they may not have seen it themselves. It might have been working with unwed mothers in high school in Quincy in the 1980s; with students given their last chance to stay in the school system in Mt. Zion in the 90s; with women in the prison in Decatur in the 2000s; or with her seven grandchildren as they grew in the 2010s. It didn't matter where she was in life, she was teaching, and those around her benefited from her doing so. She was a gifted teacher with the ability to command respect from students who had never given it before. She had the uncanny ability to connect with students that other teachers had not yet been able to connect with. She reached countless people and changed their lives for the better. Though she taught those students labeled as difficult, she never had any difficulty in reaching them. She loved the Lord and found Him often through family, friends, music, and nature. She loved her husband, Phil, who has been by her side for the last 60 years. She loved her children, whom she taught about life and how to love the Lord. She loved her grandchildren and delighted in spending hours taking walks and playing games with them. She also found joy in this life through the many friendships she built, playing the piano, taking long walks, and tending to her beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Connie retired from teaching at the Mt. Zion School district, was an active member of the Mt. Zion Presbyterian church, and volunteered at Dove Inc. and the Decatur Correctional Facility for Women. She is survived by her husband Phil, children Jeff (Brittany) Jenkins of Mt. Zion, Brad (Julia) Jenkins of Glen Carbon, Angie (Mark) Richardson of Mt. Zion, siblings Randy (Pat) Allen of Kansas City, Kansas, Diane (Dave) Ayers of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, Brent (Jana) Allen of Quincy, and Cara Allen of Macomb, and grandchildren Hadley, Brynne, Ellie, Landon, Ruby, Drew, and Sydney. Connie was preceded in death by her parents. Services to celebrate Connie's life will be 10:00 AM Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, 345 W. Main St. Mt. Zion. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM Monday, May 23, 2022 at the Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home in Mt. Zion. Burial will be in Point Pleasant Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Dove Inc. or the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church. Arrangements by Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home, 105 W. Main St. Mt. Zion, view the online obituary, send condolences, and share memories at www.dawson-wikoff.com.