Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Tribute to Mom

This post was originally published on Tangled Roots and Trees on Mother's Day 2014. She died four months later:

I wonder how many of us in the U.S. are writing about our mothers today. I thought long and hard about it as my mother is still alive but she deserves a tribute on this special day. I hope I can do her influence on my life justice.

Mom and Dad on the day of their marriage 15 November 1957; personal
collection

Once many years ago my siblings and their spouses descended on Mom and Dad's for a holiday. My youngest brother had recently taken some sort of personality test at work that consisted of 50 questions. We all had a good laugh when we discovered my husband and my mother had the same personality. They had answered 49 of the 50 questions exactly the same. The joke ever since has been I married my mother. And that's a very good thing!

She is stronger than anyone I know, but let Dad take care of her 55 years of their 57-year marriage. Now, during the last two years, she has become the caregiver. She has very firm ideas about wifely duties and child rearing that might make your hair stand on end if you consider yourself a liberated, modern woman. Yet she encouraged me to be strong, independent and be a partner not subservient in my marriage.

My middle brother, Mom and I at National Memorial Park in Falls Church
Virginia on Easter, visiting the grave of my paternal grandfather; personal
collection

She guarded her children as fiercely as a momma bear but never once blamed the teachers as many parents do today when their children get in trouble. We were punished if we misbehaved in school; the teacher was always right.

I was pigeon-toed as a child. Mom would fuss at me about it and even now at the ripe old age of 55, I look down occasionally to be sure I'm walking with my toes pointed straight ahead. When I see an adult walk the way I did as a child, I admit I wonder why their Mom didn't fix that!

Mom was sure I must have musical talent. Her father played a brass instrument in a marching band and the violin. I should have piano lessons. We bought a used piano and I began taking lessons with wife of our church's musical director. I had wonderful form, but absolutely no talent. I played the piece as well the first time as the fiftieth. But Mom wouldn't let me quit. Until one day, when I came home from school, she told a story on herself. She was in the kitchen getting ready to clean up after breakfast and she heard someone playing the piano. Since the only person in the house that played was me, she was sure I was late for school. She came in the room to tell me to stop practicing and get to school and discovered our Beagle walking up and down the keyboard, shredding a tissue. Quitting my lessons was only one of the very few battles I won. My argument was simple. If she couldn't tell the difference between my playing and the dog's, I had no talent.

Mom feeding my youngest brother; photograph taken in 1968; personal
collection

I was not only the tallest girl in elementary and junior high school, I was the tallest student in the entire school. In the 9th grade I met a girl who was almost as tall as me. She slumped so she would appear shorter. This seemed like a wonderful solution to my embarrassing height problem so I mimicked her slump. My mother disabused me of that behavior in short order.

We had our differences, especially when I was about 14 to 16 years old. I thought she had become a mad woman overnight and she thought the same about me! But for all the years since then she has been my best friend. There's nothing we can't talk about. But most importantly, she's my mother first. She still fusses at me and worries about me and wants the best for me.

A recent photograph of Mom and Dad taken in April 2014;
personal collection

I once told her I hoped I would die before her as I didn't think I could stand it without her in my life. I was totally unprepared for her reaction. She broke down completely and started crying. She said it's natural for a child to lose a parent but it is unnatural for a parent to lose a child. She begged me to stop thinking such thoughts. I have tried. Honestly, I have. But I still don't know how I will survive the deaths of my parents. They are the most wonderful people and gave my brothers and me an idyllic childhood and have been rocks to lean against as adults.

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'Mom and Children,' personal colleciton
'Mom and Children at Cemetery,' personal collection
'Mom and Dad at Indian Beach, 2014' personal collection
'Mom and Dad Wedding, Cutting the Cake' personal collection

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Tribute to Dad

This post was originally published on Tangled Roots and Trees on Father's Day 2014:

Today is Father's Day in the U.S. So I am writing about my Dad. He and Mom gave my brothers and me an idyllic childhood and we are very lucky we can still share our lives with them.

My favorite photo of Dad on his boat somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay. 
You can tell from the wake, he is going his favorite speed: Fast; personal
collection

Dad's name is Charles Theodore Jennings; he was born in East St Louis, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St Louis in 1931. His parents were Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings. His father was a clerk for the railroad and my Dad was their youngest son. They moved to Washington, DC in 1941 when my grandfather took a job with the federal government. A year later, they bought a home in Arlington, Virginia.

My grandmother says Dad was quite a hell-raiser in his youth. He drank beer, got into bar brawls and raced cars. Grandma used to tell stories about Dad's wild side and he was none too happy about it. As a rebuttal he would tell a story about when he did something good. Once my brother told him, "Dad, that story is a repeat. Grandma is still telling new ones!"

Dad racing his sprint car sometime in the 1950s; personal collection

My Mother's parents didn't like him and didn't go to their wedding, though they changed their mind about Dad after seeing the way he treated their daughter and his children.

Mom and Dad at their wedding; personal colleciton

Dad worked out of our house, which was unusual in the 1960s, but great for his children. He was always home when we came home from school. He was the coach of every team sport my brothers and I played until I decided to try soccer at the age of 17. He told me he didn't know anything about soccer. Even though he didn't coach, he attended every practice and every game.

Dad graduating from Columbia Technical Institute as class
valedictorian; personal collection

When I was in high school he and I attended every varsity football and basketball game, home or away, and later we branched out to wrestling matches. He asked once if anyone was asking me out on dates and was appalled when I replied, "Yes, but I turn them down so we can go together."

Once the big man on campus asked me out on a date and stood me up.  Dad took his very sad daughter out for ice cream and told me how to handle him if he ever called again. And BMOC did call again and I handled him just like Dad explained. It felt great. I was pleasant, never acted like being stood up bothered me, and turned him down every time he asked me out in the future.

I almost married my high school sweetheart but was conflicted. I went to Dad for advice. He said, "I think he'd make a good husband to you, be a good father to your children, but will he be a good provider for your family?" I thought long and hard about that and decided I'd out grown my high school flame. And I thank the heavens for that every day.

Our family after we "acquired" my first sister-in-law; personal collection

After I started working, he continued to give the perfect advice at the perfect time. "When you make a mistake," he told me, "don't wait for someone else to mention it; own it and own the solution." As children, we never heard Dad brag about us, but would hear about it from other people. It made us all proud.

Dad is 82 years old now and still with us and for that our family is very blessed.  He's had major cerebral hemorrhages during the last 10 years that have begun to affect his mind and he can no longer speak much. But even when life has gotten hard, Dad still maintains his happy-go-lucky, sunny outlook on life. He's still teaching me important things.

The manner in which Dad has lived his entire life has made it so easy to love and cherish him and want to do anything for him to make him happy. He was the genealogist in our family for years. He and Mom would often take research field trips to look for old family records. My gift to him, and to myself, is taking that research over so it doesn't die. We talk about what I've discovered every time I visit and I hope he loves every minute of our genealogy discussions.

Dad clowning around

I am the luckiest daughter in the world.

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'Dad and His Boat,' personal collection
'Dad Clowning Around,' personal collection
'Dad Racing His Sprint Car,' personal collection
'Dad's Graduating as Valedictorian,' personal collection
'Mom and Dad Wedding,' personal collection
'Ted Jennings, Sr., Family,' personal collection

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Memories of Marvin and Millie (Lange) Jennings

I always say I don't have an immediate family; I have an extended immediate family because I basically had two sets of parents. My father and his brother, Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., married sisters. Uncle Marvin married Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange. and Dad married Dorothy Ailein Lange.

When I was 5 months old my parents purchased their first home in Arlington, Virginia. Uncle Marvin had purchased their first home in Vienna, Virginia. On Friday nights the two families gathered for pizza and games of cards. Even before I was old enough to understand the relationship, my cousin, Joyce Jennings, was my best friend. Every time I spent the night at their house, Aunt Millie would cook my favorite dinners and breakfasts. Before bed she would create fabulous root beer floats. That was living!

After croquet. Left to right: Charles Theodore Jennings, Jr.; Charles Theodore
Jennings, Sr.; Joann Marie Jennings; Joyce Elaine Jennings holding Sammy;
Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr.; Schalene Jennings

Uncle Marvin taught me how to pitch and bat a softball and Aunt Millie taught me how to score baseball and softball games -- something I've enjoyed doing whenever I go to the ballpark to watch a game.

In 1967 our family moved to Vienna across town from Uncle Marvin and Aunt Millie. When I was a teenager, Mom and I used to fight from time to time about goodness knows what. In a huff, I would walk to Aunt Millie's house. I don't remember if I ever discussed the details of the fights, but she always made me feel loved.

Our families used to vacation together frequently and during the summer I turned 13, I stayed in Germany with Uncle Marvin and Aunt Millie. Those are some of my favorite memories.

Airport send off. Left to right: Charles Theodore Jennings; Schalene Jennings,
Dorothy (Lange) Jennings holding John Edward Jennings; Ruth (Lange) Meek;
Millie (Lange) Jennings; Charles Theodore Jennings, Jr. (with camera); Alice
(Muir) Jennings; Joyce Elaine Jennings; Joann Marie Jennings; 1970 at
Dulles International Airport; personal collection

In 1977 Uncle Marvin took a job as the town manager of Aurora, North Carolina, and he and Aunt Millie moved there. Mom and Dad moved to nearby Pamlico County the next year. A few years after that Uncle Marvin and Aunt Millie built a home next door to Mom and Dad's. All four of them played golf and would take off in Uncle Marvin's van with their clubs and luggage to all parts of the U.S. and Canada for weeks at a time.

Our families were always back and forth across the yards visiting and Mom and I were frequent visitors at Aunt Millie's for coffee in the mornings. We fished together, waterskied, played cards and on and on together. Memories that will stay with me forever!

Morning coffee. Mom and I at Aunt Millie and Uncle Marvin's house in
Pamlico County; personal collection

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'After croquet,' personal collection
'Airport Send Off,' personal collection
'Morning coffee,' personal collection

Monday, November 2, 2015

Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings Headstone

Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings was interred in National Memorial Park in Arlington, County, Virginia.

Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings Headstone, personal collection

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Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings Headstone, personal collection

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings Obituary

Mrs. Mildred Lange Jennings, 81, wife of Marvin Jennings, died Friday, October 16, 2009 at Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill. The daughter of Gustav and Wilhelmina Schalin Lange, Mrs. Jennings was native to Cheltenham, MD. She was a graduate of Gwynn Park High School; and she was a homemaker. Funeral services will be 11 AM Tuesday at Jamieson Memorial United Methodist Church with the Reverend Walt Westbrook officiating. Interment and graveside services will be 2 PM Wednesday at National Cemetery in Falls Church, VA. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Jennings is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Joyce and Bill Woodfin and Joann and David Wallenburn and her granddaughter, Rachel Jennings. Her sister, Dorothy Jennings and brothers, Arthur, Herbert and Philip Lange also survive.

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Washington Post, 19 October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Photograph of Marvin and Millie (Lange) Jennings

This photograph of Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings is from my personal collection:

Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings; personal
collection

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Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings, personal collection

Friday, October 30, 2015

Photograph of Millie Lange and Dorothy Lange

These photographs are of Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings and her sister, Dorothy Ailein (Lange) Jennings, who married the brother of Millie's husband, Charles Theodore Jennings.

Dorothy Ailein Lange and her sister, Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange; personal collection

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Dorothy Ailein Lange and her sister, Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange, personal collection

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Wedding Photographs of Marvin and Millie (Lange) Jennings

These photographs from the wedding of Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange are from my personal collection.


The bride and groom: Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange;
personal collection

Wedding party (left to right): Charles Theodore Jennings; Marvin Edward
Jennings, Jr., Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange; Dorothy Ailein Lange; unknown
man; personal collection

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The Bride and Groom, personal collection
Wedding Party, personal collection

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Photographs of Rachel Mildred Lange

These photographs are from my personal collection.

Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young girl; personal collection

Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young woman; personal collection

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Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young girl, personal collection
Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young woman, personal collection

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

2.12.3.2.2. Rachel Mildred Lange (1927-2009)

Rachel Mildred Jennings, who went by Millie because she hated the name Rachel, was born on 27 December 1927 to Gustav and Wilhelmina (Schalin) Lange. She grew up on the farm on which she was born, the sixth of nine children.

Millie attended Gwynn Park High School and played on the basketball team. She was very athletic and competed in many sports throughout her life, including bowling and golf. After graduating from high school, she moved to Washington, DC, to work for the federal government and the American Forestry Association, now known as American Forests.

She bowled in a mixed league and met Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., who thought Millie would be a good match for his oldest son Marvin. Marvin, Jr., attended the bowling match and met Millie. They began dating and were married on 5 April 1952 in Arlington County, Virginia.

Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young woman; personal collection

Their first daughter was born in 1954. Sometime in the mid- to late-1950s, Marvin was stationed to Okinawa, Japan, and then in Taipei, Taiwan. Their youngest daughter was born in 1957 in Taipei.

When the family returned to the United States, they bought a new home in Vienna, Virginia, where their girls grew up. In the mid-1960s, Marvin was stationed to Iran and they lived in the capital city of Tehran.

In the early 1970s, Marvin was stationed to Bonn, Germany, then the capital of the western portion of the divided country. International telephones calls had to be scheduled at the local post office so most of our communication with them was by newly invented cassette tape recordings! When they moved to Germany, their oldest daughter attended high school and was a boarding student in Frankfurt.

After they returned to the United States, Millie worked as a secretary for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). When Marvin retired from what is now known as the Woodburn Center for Community Health, Marvin and Millie moved to Aurora, North Carolina, where Marvin worked as the town manager. Their brother and sister would stay with them while they built their house on Dawnson's Creek. Later, Millie and Mavin built a house next door, also on the creek. They lived there for several years. They enjoyed many rounds of golf and traveling with Marvin's brother and Millie's sister, who had married each other.

Millie had a massive cerebral hemorrhage in 2001 and required constant care until the day she died. Marvin lovingly provided that care. They moved to Virginia to be closer to their younger daughter and her husband.

Millie died on 16 October 2009. Her funeral was held at the Jamieson Memorial United Methodist Church on 20 October. The next day there was a graveside service at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia.

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'Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange as a young woman, personal collection
1930 US Federal Census, Census Place: Brandywine, Prince George's, Maryland; Roll: 877; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 24; Image: 1048.0
1940 US Federal Census, Census Place: Prince George's, Maryland; Roll: T627_1557; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 17-36
US, Find a Grave Index, 1607-2012, Find A Grave Memorial No. 43699225
US, Obituary Collection, Washington Post, Publication Date: 19-10-2009; Publication Place: Washington, DC, USA
US, Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-Current, 2009 Jennings, Millie
US, Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume I, 1996 Arapahoe, North Carolina (Jennings, Mildred L.)
US, Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Issue State: District of Columbia; Issue Date: 1952
US, Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, 2009 Jennings, Mildred L.
US, Virginia Marriage Records, 1936-2014, Copy 6398, Clerk's No. 438
US, Virginia Marriage Records, 1936-2014, Copy 15537, Clerk's No. 438

Monday, October 26, 2015

Photographs of Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr.

These are photographs of Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., as a young man. I believe the second one came from Abby Muir, but I am not sure. It could also have come from Grandma's photograph albums.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., as a young boy; personal collection


Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., as a young man; courtesy of Abby
Muir

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Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., as a young boy, personal collection
Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., as a young man, courtesy of Abby Muir

Sunday, October 25, 2015

2.12.3.2.2. Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr. (1927- )

Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., was born on 23 July 1927 in East St. Louis, Illinois, to Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings, Sr. He was their first son. In 1930 the family lived at 8304 State Street in East St. Louis. The home was rented and Marvin's father worked as a rate clerk for the Illinois Central Railroad. At the end of the next year, Marvin's younger brother was born.

In 1940 the family lived at 427 North 82nd Street in Centreville. The next year Marvin's father accepted a job with the federal government in Washington, DC, and the family moved. A year later they bought a home in the Spout Run area of Arlington County, Virginia.

On 3 November 1945 Marvin was inducted into the Army Air Corps at Camp Blanding in Stark County, Florida. After basic training, he was assigned to the Army Air Corps Hawaiian Department and also served in occupied Japan during his time in the military. He saw his first computer while in the service. After being honorably discharged, Marvin went to college and earned an accounting degree. He began working for the federal government.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr.; personal collection

On 5 April 1952 he married Rachel Mildred "Millie" Lange. His father had introduced them. Millie worked as a secretary and lived in a boarding house in Washington, DC. Marvin's father and Millie were on the same bowling league. They had their first daughter in 1954.

Marvin worked for the finance department at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was stationed overseas on three separate occasions: 1) Okinawa, Japan, for 15 months; and Taipei, Taiwan, for 15 months; 2) Tehran, Iran for two years in the 1960s and 3) Bonn, Germany for two years in the 1970s. Marvin and Millie's youngest daughter was born in Taipei.

After returning to the United States from the Far East, they purchased a new home on 512 Stephen Circle in Vienna, Virginia. When Marvin was stationed overseas, they would rent their home.

When Marvin retired from the CIA, he worked for five years for what is now the Woodburn Center for Community Mental Health. He retired from that job when he and Millie moved to Aurora, North Carolina, where Marvin worked as the town manager for a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Marvin and Millie then built a house on Dawson's Creek near Arapahoe, North Carolina, where they lived for many years. Their home was next door to the home of Charles and Dorothy (Lange) Jennings -- their brother and sister. All four of them enjoyed playing golf and they took many long trips across country, playing golf wherever they went.

Marvin worked part-time for the Town of Oriental and taught mathematics classes at the local community college.

In 2001 Millie suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and became wheelchair-bound. Their oldest daughter and her husband moved in for awhile to help Marvin care for Millie. Not long after they moved to Montana, Marvin and Millie built a house in Virginia to be near their youngest daughter and her husband. Millie died in 2009. Marvin still lives in Virginia and summers in Montana with his oldest daughter. He continues to be active, playing golf with his son-in-law and attending dances at the golf club.

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'Marvin in Uniform,' personal collection
1930 U.S. Federal Census, Census Place: East St Louis, St. Clair, Illinois; Roll: 557; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 61; Image: 55.0; FHL microfilm: 2340292
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Census Place: Signal Hill, St. Clair, Illinois; Roll: T627_879; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 82-35
US, Public Records Index, Volume I, 1950-1993, 1986 Arapahoe, North Carolina (Jennings, Marvin E., Jr.)
US, Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014, 1952 Jennings, Marvin Edward - Lange, Rachel Mildred
US, World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, 1945 Jennings, Marvin E., Jr.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Photographs of the Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., Family

These photographs were taken during Robert Muir's last visit to his daughter, Alice (Muir) Jennings, and her family. The visit occurred over the Christmas holiday, likely in 1954 or 1955. One is from my personal collection and one was generously shared with me by Abby Muir, a newly discovered cousin.

Back row left to right: Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr.; Alice (Muir) Jennings;
Rachel Mildred "Millie" (Lange) Jennings, holding daughter, Joann Marie
Jennings; Robert Muir. Kneeling left to right: Charles Theodore Jennings
and Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., Joann's father; courtesy of Abby Muir


Around the holiday table, from left to right: Robert Muir; Rachel Mildred
"Millie" (Lange) Jennings, holding her daughter, Joann Marie Jennings;
Charles Theodore Jennings and his then girlfriend (later wife), Dorothy
Ailein (Lange) Jennings; personal collection

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The Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., Family, Abby Muir
Around the Holiday Table, personal collection

Friday, October 23, 2015

Photographs of the Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., Family

These photographs are from my personal collection, discovered in photograph albums of my grandmother, Alice (Muir) Jennings.

The family of Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings
Back row: Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., and Alice (Muir) Jennings
Front row: Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., and Charles Theodore
Jennings; from my personal collection

Three generations of Muirs. From left to right: Marvin Edward
Jennings, Jr., Alice (Muir) Jennings, and her father, Robert Muir;
courtesy of Abby Muir

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The Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., Family in Illinois, personal collection
Three Generations of Muirs, Abby Muir

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., Headstone

This photograph of the headstone of Marvin Edward Jennings was graciously shared by Find A Grave volunteer, James Brady.

Marvin Edward Jennings Headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer,
James Brady

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'Marvin Edward Jennings Headstone,' Find A Grave

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Resolutions and Memorial on the Death of Brother Marvin Jennings

Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9, International Order of Odd Fellows

May 18, 1961

Our beloved brother, Marvin Jennings, passed from our midst on Monday afternoon, May 1, 1961. These resolutions are written to express to the members of his family our deep appreciation for the unselfish service which he gave to Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9 and to other branches of the Order.

Brother Marvin Jennings was born on the 16th day of November, 1902, at Roanoke, Virginia. He married Miss Alice Muir in 1924 in East St. Louis, Illinois. To them were born two sons, Marvin, Jr., and Charles Theodore, who are now living in this area. In 1942 Brother Jennings and his family moved to Arlington, Virginia, since he had accepted employment at the General Accounting Office.

He was initiated into Columbia Lodge No. 10, International Order of Odd Fellows, on 1 November 1945 and served as Noble Grand of Columbia Lodge on two separate occasions. Brother Jennings also belonged to Mt. No Encampment, filling various offices, becoming Chief Patriarch, serving various offices in the Grand Encampment, and being elected Grand Patriarch in 1953, the highest office the Grand Encampment can bestow upon a brother. For the current term he was Grand Instructor for the Grand Encampment, Scribe for Mt. Nebo Encampment, and Outside Guardian for Columbia Lodge No. 10.

Brother Jennings joined Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9 in November 1948 and served this lodge faithfully in various capacities whenever requested for help. He assisted with degree work and assisted as a member of the Finance Committee for a number of years. He lived and practiced Odd Fellowship in his daily walk of life. His memory will be ever bright among those of us who were privileged to call him, "Brother."

Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED That Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9 having suffered a distinct loss submit this declaration of the activities of our beloved brother as a token of our esteem for our brother.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be made a part of the permanent records of this lodge and that a copy be furnished to his widow, our beloved Sister Alice Jennings and to his children.

"At the end of the road, there lies
A gate of gardens fair
A place of rest and happiness
With sunshine everywhere
Where hearts at last are free from pain
And sorrows crushing load,
And where your loved one waits for you
In Peace at the end of the road.

Fraternally submitted,

Louise B. Long
Maxine Gibson
Helen Fridley

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Resolutions and Memorial on the Death of Brother Marvin Jennings, Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9, International Order of Odd Fellows, 18 May 1961

Monday, October 19, 2015

Form of Application and Cover Letter

Orphanage application cover letter, page 1, from half-brother, Daniel Jennings; personal
collection

Orphanage application cover letter, page 2, from half-brother, Daniel Jennings; personal
collection

Aug. 9, 1911

Prof. J. T. Crabtree, Sup.,
Lutheran Orphanage
Salem, Va.

Dear Sir:

Referring to conversation had with you on last Monday concerning the admission of my brother into your institute, beg to enclose herewith formal application, his Father being well pleased with conditions under which he will be admitted, provided, of course, your Board of Trustees consider the application favorably.

Concerning Marin, would say his is of amiable disposition, easily controlled and a bright and studious child. He has been attending the Roanoke public school since old enough, and has successfully passed all examinations which places him in the second "A", Primary grade at the beginning of next school term.

You will note from application sheet that he has had most of the diseases of children, but his general health is good; his slight lameness is not a deformity, but due to effect of measles which he had when quite a small child.

He has one own brother and sister who are "minors." His brother, Leo, resides with a half-sister in Tennessee, the sister with her Aunt, Mrs. Mays, Roanoke. He has three half brothers residing in Roanoke, one half-sister residing in Roanoke, and one half-sister, above mentioned, residing in Erwin, Tenn.

His father is 68 years of age, has fairly good health and was for many years engaged in the mercantile business in Roanoke, but for the past four or five years has been a building contractor.

You will also find enclosed herewith letter addressed to you from Hon. H. E. Trout concerning the application.

The writer is especially anxious that the child be placed under your care, and sincerely trusts that the matter may receive favorable consideration by your Board of Trustees.

Yours very truly,

D. M. Jennings

Orphanage application signed by my great grandfather; personal collection

FORM OF APPLICATION

We the undersigned, and Council of _______________ Church hereby make application for the admission into the Lutheran Orphan Home, at Salem Va. For the information of the Board of Trustees, the following particulars are given:
  1. Name of parents: C. E. Jennings and Effie Jennings
  2. Name of guardian: C. E. Jennings
  3. Are both parents dead? No
  4. Were they members of the Lutheran Church? No. Of what other Church! Methodist
  5. Full name of child: Marvin Jennings
  6. Place and date of birth: Roanoke, Va., Nov. 29th, 1901
  7. Present residence of child: Roanoke, Va.
  8. Has child been baptized? No.
  9. Name and address of near relatives. See separate sheet
  10. Has the child any means of support, available now or hereafter? Yes.
  11. Give on separate sheets the age, conditions and occupations of brothers and sisters, if any. Also health and occupation of father or mother, if living, and the financial conditions of parents and near relatives.
  12. Is the child healthy? Yes. Sound in mind? Yes. Sound in body? Yes. Any deformity? No. Subject to fits? No. Any defects in speech? No.
  13. Has the child any scrofulous disease? No. Any hereditary consumption? No. Had measles? Yes. Whooping cough? Yes. Mumps? Yes. Chickenpox? Yes. Smallpox? No. Been vaccinated? No. What other diseases? Mild attack of fever several years ago.
  14. Of what disease did mother die? Heart failure
  15. Who will consign to the Home the legal control of the child? His father, C. E. Jennings. What amount per month will be paid for the support of this child? $8.50.
  16. Has person bother natural and legal right to commit such control? Yes
  17. Name and address of family physician: Mr. I. E. Huff, Roanoke, Va.
  18. Give on another sheet any other information, such as the needs of the child, its disposition, training and education. Also condition of family. We believe this child to be a worthy applicant, and cordially commend _____________ to your favorable consideration, promising in behalf of our congregation to contribute to the support of the Home.
Signed by C. E. Jennings, Father

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Lutheran Orphanage Form of Application and Cover Letter

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Lutheran Orphanage, Salem, Virginia

My grandfather, Marvin Edward Jennings, was sent to the Lutheran Orphanage in 1911. He was the only child out of twelve that was sent to the orphange. As a result he was never terribly close to his brothers and sisters as the older ones took in some of the younger children, but not my grandfather.

Lutheran Orphanage; photograph courtesy of the Library of Congress

There were two orphanages in Salem -- Baptist and Lutheran. They were established in the 1890s when accidents and dread diseases -- like tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhoid, and malaria -- frequently robbed children of their parents. In those post Civil War years, according to one report, the number of orphans grew to "unthinkable levels," and: "Across Virginia, frightened children roamed the streets and countryside begging for handouts and mercy."

In May of 1896, the Lutheran Orphan Home of the South moved to Salem, into a two-story brick home at the southeast corner of Florida Street and the Boulevard. The children's home has moved several times within Salem since then, but the brick house still stands at Florida and Boulevard in front of Kiwanis Stadium where it houses the Florida Street Center of the City Department of Recreation and Parks.

It didn't stay on Florida Street long. Under the leadership of the Rev. Benjamin W. Cronk, who succeeded Painter in 1897, the Lutherans in 1899-90 bought and moved into a very elegant five-story building, formerly the Hotel Salem, on College Avenue at Fifth Street. The new building -- on the site of today's Andrew Lewis Middle School -- was to serve the orphanage until 1927.  The Lutheran home thrived in the old Hotel Salem -- an imposing, 80-room, red-brick structure, almost castle-like in appearance, with its tower, turrets, dormers and arched windows.

A concerted fund drive by the Lutheran United Synod liquidated that home's building debt by 1907. The orphanage paid heavy attention to their children's education. The Lutheran home operated a school on premises to offer the "necessary branches of learning," along with manual training for both girls and boys though eventually it began a long and difficult process of integration of the children into Salem's public schools. The professional staffs as well as their church provided religious instruction.

In 1904, the Rev. John T. Crabtree, Confederate veteran, former Salem High School principal and Roanoke College professor (he had become an orphan himself at age 8), succeeded Cronk as superintendent of the Lutheran home. During his tenure, until 1922, the home housed more than 100 children and still had to turn away applicants.

This excerpt is from the Salem Museum historical website.  For more information about the Lutheran Orphanage after the 1920s, read this excellent article.

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'Lutheran Orphanage,' Library of Congress
Salem Orphanages Served Thousands, Salem Museum and Historical Society

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Photographs of Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings

These photographs of Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings are from my personal collection.

Alice (Muir) Jennings and Marvin Jennings, 1946; personal
collection

Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings; personal collection

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Alice (Muir) Jennings and Marvin Jennings, 1946, personal collection
Marvin Edward and Alice (Muir) Jennings, personal collection

Friday, October 16, 2015

Photograph of Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr.

This is another photograph of my grandfather, Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., from my personal collection.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr.; personal collection

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'Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr.,' personal collection

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Photographs of Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr.

These photographs of my grandfather, Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., are from my personal collection.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., at his fishing shack on Carr's Creek in
Maryland; personal collection

I love the above photograph. Grandpa loved to fish! He and my grandmother bought a 4-room shack on Carr's Creek, a tidal creek near the Chesapeake Bay in Deale Beach, Maryland, shortly before his death. My Dad is the person in the background with a pipe in his mouth. He was building a bulkhead or seawall for his parents.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., at a restaurant in Maryland; likely the family
had been out on Dad's boat earlier in the day; personal collection

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., after work; personal collection

This photograph is another favorite. He looks so relaxed and happy.

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'Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., after work,' personal collection
'Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., at a restaurant,' personal collection
'Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., on Carr's Creek,' personal collection

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

2.12.3.2. Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr. (1901-1961)

Marvin Edward Jennings was born on 16 November 1901 in Roanoke, Virginia, to Charles Edward Jennings and his second wife, Effie Beard. He was their third child and his father was a grocer. In December 1905, Charles and Effie had another child, but she died six months later. The infant died a month after that. Marvin's father Charles had a partner in the grocery business, who apparently, ran off with all the money. So Charles lost the store and became a carpenter by 1910. He was 67 years old with three children for which to care.

On 9 August 1911 Marvin's half-brother, Daniel Jennings, sent an application to the Lutheran Orphanage in Salem, Virginia, and Marvin, who was ten years old, was accepted by the orphanage. His father paid the orphanage $8.50 a month for his care.

Marvin Edward Jennings, Sr., and an unknown woman; personal
collection

When the 1920 census was enumerated, Marvin Jennings lived with his half-brother Daniel's family at 424 Washington Avenue in Roanoke and worked as a clerk for the Norfolk and Western Railway. In 1923 he was transferred to War, West Virginia, and met Alice Muir. After dating for a few months, she moved back to East St. Louis, Illinois. However, upon discovering she was pregnant, she wrote to Marvin. He quit his job, moved to East St. Louis and married Alice on 13 May 1924. In East St. Louis he got a job as a rate clerk for the Illinois Central Railroad where he was responsible for calculating the cost of freight transported by the railroad. This was complicated mathematics as the type of freight, weight and distance traveled were part of the equation.

Marvin and Alice lost their daughter, Pearl in December 1924, but in 1927 they had a son they named Marvin Edward Jennings, Jr., Their youngest son, my father, was born in 1931. By 1930 they lived at 8304 State Street in East St. Louis in a house they rented for $18 a month. The family had a radio.

Marvin lost his job with the railroad some time during the 1930s Depression and worked odd jobs to support his family though they did go on relief. But things had improved by 1940. They lived in a home they owned, valued at $900, at 427 North 82nd Street in East St. Louis and Marvin worked as a clerk again for the railroad. He made about $700.

In 1941, Marvin moved his family to Washington, DC, where they rented a row house, and he went to work for the federal government. They bought a house in the Spout Run area of Arlington a year or so later. He also became active in the International Order of Odd Fellows.

Marvin Edward Jennings died on 1 May 1961 at the age of 50 of a ruptured abdominal aorta at Northern Virginia Doctors Hospital. He was interred National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia.

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1910 Federal Census, Census Place: Roanoke Melrose Ward, Roanoke (Independent City), Virginia; Roll: T624_T646; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 125; Image: 403
1920 Federal Census, Census Place: Roanoke Highland Ward 2, Roanoke (Independent City), Virginia; Roll: T625_1912; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 31; Image: 728
1930 Federal Census, Census Place: East St. Louis, St. Clair, Illinois; Roll: 557; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 61; Image: 55.0; FHL microfilm: 2340292
1940 Federal Census, Census Place: Signal Hill, St. Clair, Illinois; Roll: T627_879; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 92-35
Global, Find A Grave Index, 1607-2015, 1961 Marvin Edward Jennings, FAG Memorial #17662909
Genealogy Notebook of Alice (Muir) Jennings, page 10
Grand Encampment, International Order of Odd Fellows, Official Bulletin No. 5, 1 May 1961
Grand Encampment, International Order of Odd Fellows of the District of Columbia, letter 8 February 1962
Lutheran Orphanage Form of Application, 9 August 1911
'Marvin Edward Jennings and an Unknown Woman,' personal collection
Resolutions and Memorial on the Death of Brother Marvin Jennings, Mt. Pleasant Rebekah Lodge No. 9, International Order of Odd Fellows, 18 May 1961
US, City Directories, 1822-1989, 1926 East St. Louis, Illinois (Jennings, Marvin E.)
US, City Directories, 1822-1989, 1928 East St. Louis, Illinois (Jennings, Marvin E.)
US, City Directories, 1822-1989, 1930 East St. Louis, Illinois (Jennings, Marvin E.)
US, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, 1961 Marvin Edward Jennings, FAG Memorial #17662909
US, Illinois Marriage License,  No. H-11915
US, Illinois Marriage License 1924 Jennings, Marvin - Muir, Alice
US, Virginia Birth Records, 1864-2014, 1902 Delayed Certificate of Birth No. 1505
US, Virginia Death Certificate Number 285
US, Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, 1961 Marvin E. Jennings, Sr., Certificate No. 12772

Monday, October 12, 2015

Memories of Alice (Muir) Jennings

Alice was my paternal grandmother and the only grandparent who lived past my fifth year. She was a great grandmother and loved to spend time with her grandchildren of whom she was very proud. She took me on my first airplane trip when I was nine years old and we went on several trips together.

I spent a lot of time at her home on Carr's Creek in Deale Beach, Maryland, after she retired. We used to go to Amish farmers' markets to buy fresh bread and other goodies. She would often take me to the local amusement parks at several Cheasapeake Bay towns. Once I decided I was brave enough to ride the small rollercoaster, which was made of wood. I was the only passenger. It was fun in the beginning, but after that first downhill, I wanted off. The ride operator was determined I would ride to the drop-off zone. Grandma was determined he would stop the ride immediately. She won and walked along those wooden tracks to the back of the ride to carry me back to safety.

Dad kept a small flat-bottomed row boat at Grandma's and we used to row all over the creek. Once when my cousin, Joyce, and I, took Grandma for a boat ride, I dumped her in the creek as we were tying up to the pier. Poor thing! She was covered in black, sticky mud. We would set out crab pots and crab all week, keeping our catch in a live box. Then when our parents came down on the weekend, Grandma would steam the crabs and we would have a picnic feast.

Grandma loved to play cards. When she started wintering in Florida, she would bring a new card game back home every spring. Our family played that game until she returned from Florida the next year. Slot machines used to be legal in Maryland when I was a kid. The local restaurant we patronized had one or two machines. You had to be an adult to play. So Grandma fed the machine and  I pulled the arm. We were so tickled when "we" won something.

Grandma took me to Williamsburg for several days when I was in elementary school. We toured through several of the buildings and had a fine time until we went to the Weatherby Tavern. I fainted in the tap room and Grandma's yelling brought me around. She had organized the entire tour group to carry me outside. We decided to return to her home after that and she drove halfway there with her left blinker on. No wonder so many cars pulled out in front of us!

She took Joyce and I on a Caribbean cruise when we were in our mid-20s. Grandma's half-sister, Henrietta Muir, joined us and we had a delightful time. Most of the time Grandma and Aunt Hen stayed aboard and gambled while Joyce and I took in the sights in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Mexico. At our fist stop, however, Grandma and Aunt Hen joined us. We took a cab through Port au Prince, Haiti. At the time, there were few if any sidewalks and the streets extended from building to building. Drivers were completely blind as they approached intersections with no traffic lights. They would toot their horn and if there was no reply, they would proceed. If a return toot was heard, drivers stopped. Grandma was not a fan of this system!

She also loved to dance! Unfortunately, only her oldest son did as well. She found her outlet at local senior centers where ever she lived.

She was a great Grandma and is still much missed today.

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Personal recollections of Schalene (Jennings) Dagutis

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Alice (Muir) Jennings Headstone

This photograph of the gravesite of Alice (Muir) Jennings was generously shared by Find A Grave volunteer, James Brady:

Alice (Muir) Jennings Headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer,
James Brady

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'Alice (Muir) Jennings Headstone,' Find A Grave

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Photographs of Alice (Muir) Jennings

These photographs of Alice (Muir) Jennings later in life are from my personal collection:

Alice (Muir) Jennings; personal collection

Alice (Muir) Jennings; personal collection

Friday, October 9, 2015

Photographs of Alice Muir

These photographs of Alice Muir, my grandmother, as a young woman are from my personal collection:

Alice Muir; personal collection

Alice Muir; personal collection

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Alice Muir, personal collection (two photographs)

Thursday, October 8, 2015

2.12.3.2. Alice Muir (1906-1993)

Alice Muir was born on 16 March 1906 in Novinger, Missouri, to Robert Muir and Ida Mae Riggin. She was their second and last child as her mother died of tuberculosis in 1909. Alice was born blind in her left eye, having a detached retina. In 1910 newly widowed Robert Muir lived in Nineveh, Missouri, with his two young children -- Henry and Alice. The children's paternal grandmother, Margaret (Semple) Muir and her youngest daughter, lived next door.

Alice's father remarried in 1911 and Alice and Henry were sent to live with their grandmother, Margaret Muir, while their father raised a new family in East St. Louis, Illinois, and he worked in nearby coal mines. Robert Muir moved his family to West Virginia some time before 1920 as one of his daughters was born there that year.

When the 1920 census was enumerated, Alice continued to live with her grandmother in Nineveh, but her brother had left and joined his father in West Virginia. Grandmother Muir died on 31 May 1920 three days after an operation. At the age of 14 Alice Muir was on her own. She lived for brief periods of time with various Muir aunts and uncles.

According to an article in the Troy Call, she attended the fifth annual Riggin family reunion held at her maternal grandmother, Clementine (Wells) Riggin Collins' home on 19 August 1921 in Troy, Illinois. Eventually, she made her way to West Virginia, and worked with a family as a maid/governess in War. There she met Marvin Edward Jennings, a clerk with the Norfolk & Western Railroad. They met at a silent movie. Alice was reading the movie to her employer's young son and Marvin and his friends sat behind Alice and mimicked her during the movie.

Marvin and Alice dated for a few months but eventually Alice moved back to East St. Louis. When she discovered she was pregnant, Marvin quit his job with the railroad, traveled to Illinois, and married her on 13 May 1924 in East St. Louis.

Alice Muir standing on the station platform of the East St. and Suburban
Railway, which was an electric commuter train, circa 1925; personal
collection

Their daughter Pearl was born on 19 September 1924 but died a few months later on 30 December 1924. The coupled lived at 870 North 80th Street in East St. Louis, just a few houses away from a house her father owned. Her husband worked for the Illinois Central Railroad Company.

Marvin and Alice's oldest son was born in 1927. Alice, my grandmother, used to say after Uncle Marvin was born, she was unable to get pregnant and went to a doctor in St. Louis. He told her that her womb was twisted. So she went every week for 26 treatments, which apparently consisted of untwisting her womb a little bit at a time. Two months after her last treatment, she was pregnant. Their youngest son was born in 1931.

When the Depression struck, Marvin Jennings lost his job with the railroad. He did odd jobs to make a little money but the family was on Relief for a period of time. In 1941, Marvin took a job with the federal government and the family moved to Washington, DC, where they lived for a year before buying a house in Arlington County, Virginia.

Marvin Jennings died in 1961. Alice was left with a mortgage and a $1,000 in the bank. She got a job as an accounting clerk with the U.S. Navy and worked on expense reports submitted by Naval officers. However, to get to work, she had to buy a car and learn to drive. My father, her youngest son, always said teaching her was quite an experience.

Alice sold the family home and lived in a series of apartments until she retired. She and Marvin had bought a fishing shack on a tidal creek of the Chesapeake Bay in Deale Beach, Maryland, just before his death. Her youngest son, winterized it and built an addition, and she retired there.  She also began wintering in Saint Petersburg, Florida. When her sons moved to North Carolina, building homes next door to each other, Alice bought a mobile home and had it placed on their property, living there until her death.

Alice (Muir) Jennings died on 14 December 1993 of a cerebrovascular accident in Pamilco County at Britt Haven Nursing Home, where she had been treated for two months prior to her death. She was interred beside her husband at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia.

Alice and her husband were active in the Odd Fellows and the Daughters of Rebekah lodge organizations and both held offices in their local chapters. After her retirement, Alice indulged her love of travel visiting Europe several times, the Middle East, Hawaii, and took several cruises.

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'Alice Muir at train station,' personal collection
1910 Federal Census, Census Place: O'Fallon, Saint Clair, Illinois; Roll: T624_323; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0155; Image: 641; FHL microfilm: 1374336
1920 Federal Census, Census Place: Nineveh, Adair, Missouri; Roll: T-625_902; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 17; Image: 330
1930 Federal Census, Census Place: East St Louis, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: 557; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 61; Image: 55.0; FHL microfilm: 2340292
1940 Federal Census, Census Place: Signal Hill, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: T627_879; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 82-35
Global, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, 1993 Alice Jennings
Riggin Family Reunion, Troy Weekly Call, 25 August 1929
Riggin Family Reunion, Edwardsville Intelligencer, 8 August 1948
Social News Notes, Troy Call, 19 August 1921
US, City Directories, 1822-1939, 1926 East St Louis, Illinois (Alice Jennings)
US, City Directories, 1822-1939, 1928 East St Louis, Illinois (Alice Jennings)
US, City Directories, 1822-1939, 1930 East St Louis, Illinois (Alice Jennings)
US, Illinois Marriage License,  No. H-11915
US, Illinois Marriage License 1924 Jennings, Marvin - Muir, Alice
US, Missouri Delayed or Special Certificate of Birth, No. 524307
US, North Carolina, Certificate of Death 060-482
US, North Carolina, Certificate of Death, Book 26, Page 181
US, North Carolina Death Index, 1908-2004, Deaths: 1993-96
US, Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume I, 1993 Arapahoe, North Carolina (Alice M Jennings)
US, Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume II, Alice M Jennings (St Petersburg, Florida)
US, Virginia, Find A Grave Index, 1607-2012, 1993 Alice M Jennings