Rachel Jenkins

Rachel Lee Jenkins, 60, of Gleason, went to be with the Lord, surrounded by those who loved her most, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.  Service was held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 at First Baptist Church in Gleason with Williams Funeral Home in Greenfield in charge of the arrangements. Rachel was born on May 9, 1962 in McKenzie, to the late Little Jack Dunning and Rayma Nelcene Johnson. She was a faithful and loyal woman of God, a devoted Christian, and a longtime member of First Baptist Church Gleason. She was also an active goer to Second Baptist Church in Union City and she had been currently attending First Baptist Church in McKenzie. Her strong relationship with God was something she always cherished and made a priority in her life no matter where she was locationally or in her health. Rachel graduated from Gleason High School in 1980 as the class valedictorian, she graduated from Union University in 1983, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education and Health, and then went on to graduate from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2001 with a Master’s degree in Education. Rachel’s teaching career began in 1984 at Palmersville, and after 30 long years, in 2014 she retired from teaching at Gleason High School. Throughout her teaching career she had many titles other than just a teacher, she was a coach, class sponsor, beta club sponsor, and yearbook sponsor. Rachel dedicated her life to loving her students and teaching them lifelong skills and characteristics beyond just a classroom setting. After retiring from her teaching career, she became the Events Project Manager for Internally Sound. She managed events, personnel and resources for events and conferences both locally and throughout the southeast US. As a family owned business, Rachel made sure that everyone near and far felt like a part of the Internally Sound family as well as a part of her own family. She always tried to be present and a part of as many events and shows as her health would allow, whether it be for her own work or just being there to offer support or helping hand to the team, or anyone else who needed it. Rachel loved her careers, both equally, yet differently, and over the years she touched the lives of so many and she was never hesitant to share her testimony, her journey, or her story with others; for her good, and for His glory, defines the way she lived her life. In addition to her career, she patiently waited 42 long years to find her soul mate, in which she spent those next 18yrs of her life as a loving, caring, and affectionate wife to Mark, as well as step mom to Chandler and Cassidy, and she took pride in being both of those. Rachel surrounded herself with family and friends who all adored her, they were compassionate, understanding, thoughtful, kind and most of all forgiving, which were all characteristics that Rachel also portrayed in her everyday life to those around her. To know her, was to love her immeasurably and to be loved by her deeply. Rachel is survived by her loving husband, Mark Jenkins of Gleason; two stepchildren, Chandler and Cassidy Jenkins; her brother. Ricky (Darlene) Dunning of Dresden; her sister, Rayma (Tim) Peery of Gleason; her brother-in-law, Phil (Jacque) Jenkins of Milan; her sister-in-law, Leigh (Ron) of Creal Springs, Illinois; her aunt, Dr. Jennifer Johnson of Jackson; and four nieces and three nephews. She also leaves behind her dedicated team of special caregivers, Dr. Robert R. McWilliams at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Arun R. Rao, Teri Conklin, Audrey Boyd and Angel Powell at West Cancer Center in Paris, Ginger Cary, Elizabeth Allen and Tonya Hardin at HCMC and Jennifer Cook, Heather Hodges, Melissa Stafford, Mary Ann Jackson and Erika Dunning. In lieu of flowers the family requested donations be made to Mayo Cancer Research Clinic  https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC