Mae Jenkins

Mae Beverly (Scharf) Jenkins passed away and went to be with her savior on March 13, 2020,  at age 99 at the Staples Care Center in Staples, MN. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at the Staples Methodist Church, with visitation one hour prior to services. Burial arrangements are  by Brenny Family Funeral Chapel. Interment will be next to her husband LeRoy and her parents at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Staples. Memorial contributions can be made to Staples United Methodist Church.

On May 1, 1920, Mae was born to Gustav “Gust” and Lena Juliana Marie (Longbella) Scharf in  Staples, MN. Other than when Mae lived in Fargo, ND, attending Business College  and Tacoma, WA, during WWII, she lived in Staples her entire life.

Mae graduated from Staples High School in 1938 and while in High School Mae worked part  time at Scharf Chevrolet Dealership. In the Fall of 1938 she attended Interstate College Business  School in Fargo, ND, staying at her uncle Chris Longbella’s home. After graduating Mae  worked for W. C. Kelehan Insurance Agency and worked as a  bookkeeper for the Jenkins Appliance Store.

On July 21, 1941, Mae was married to LeRoy Jenkins in Staples. During World War II, LeRoy  was not able to join the Navy due to a bad back so he and Arnold Scharf went to Tacoma,  WA, to work as welders in the Shipyards. Their first child, Lee was born while they were in  Tacoma.

LeRoy and Mae raised 5 children, Lee, Dennis, Kevin, Karen and Laurie. Mae was a  devoted mother and followed the lives of her grandchildren.

Mae is preceded in death by her husband LeRoy; her parents Gust & Lena; 2 brothers, Gordon  (Mary) Scharf and Arnold (June) Scharf; 2 sisters, Dorothy (Laverne) Aldrich, Muriel (Clarence)  Thompson and an unnamed baby sibling.

After LeRoy died on a hunting trip to Wyoming in 1968, Mae got her driving license after age  50 which allowed her to become more independent.

Mae was a member of the Staples United Methodist Church and active in the Dora Mead  Circle. She enjoyed reading, crocheting, solving puzzles, going to auctions and yard sales and  taking trips to the casino. Mae and LeRoy enjoyed dancing at Bar Harbor and River Inn.

They also went pheasant hunting. She walked on her tread mill every morning until she was  98 and got around Staples with her walker until 2018 when she moved to the Staples Care  Center. At 99, she was still doing her trademark dance and “Da ta da” tune with her walker at the  care center.

Mae is survived by her sister Norie (the late, Bill) McGivern of Mendota Heights, MN; 3 sons, Lee  (Judy) of Staples, Dennis of Grand Junction, CO, & Kevin (Sue) of Staples; 2 daughters, Karen  (Kurt) Meyers of Edgewater, CO, and Laurie (the late, Tim) Hopkins of Motley, MN; 7 grand  children, Curt (Roxanne) Jenkins of White Bear Lake, MN, Jennifer (Dale) Krippner of  Hanover, MN, Lisa Jenkins of Staples, Tristan Jenkins of Denver, CO, Kyle Meyers of  Arvada, Colorado, Amy Hopkins of St. Cloud, MN, and Amber Hopkins of Crosby, MN;  9 great grandchildren, Christopher, Amelia, William and Lillian Jenkins, Alexis  and Cole Dingman, Ari Hopkins, Liam and Georgia Kruchten, and many nieces and  nephews.