Leonard Oleen Jenkins 12 Sept 1910 to 24 Feb 1933

Second son (only two children) of David LeRoy (Roy) Jenkins and Mary Alice (Mamie)Earl

I think about my Grandpa and I have to blink the tears away. Grandpa died at the age of 28 (my father also died at age 28). I never got to see him or talk to him or get a Grandpa hug from him. I just have so much love and respect for my Grandpa's Brother my Uncle Stan that he would write words telling me about My Hero Grandpa Oleen and the wonderful person he was.

I waitressed for many years and Jr. Nagle (my daughter in-law Sharee Nagle Miller's Grandpa) who also told me about my grandpa Oleen.

Jr. said that he always looked up to him like he was a hero and he wanted to be like Oleen.

Jr. said that the kids in Parker loved Grandpa and followed him around and that he would give them candy and rides on his horse or in the buggy. Oleen had the most beautiful hair and when he would take his cowboy hat off Jr. loved to see how dark and thick and shiny it was. He said Grandpa was the kindest man ever. I can still see the tears in Jr. Nagle's eyes when he talked about my Grandpa. Thank you Jr. Nagle I will always love you for the stories you told me, even though you whispered and I had to strain to hear your words.

The following story is about My Grandpa Oleen

My brother, Oleen was a big healthy looking man: but many days of his life he was in pain.
One time when he was a little boy, my folks took him to the dentist. When he came home, he had all his teeth in a little bag in his hand. Later on he had an impacted wisdom tooth, and the doctor in our town (Saint Anthony, Idaho) didn't know how to treat him.

About that time, a fine doctor came to St. Anthony. My folks took my brother to see him about treatments. He looked in my brothers mouth, told my Dad and Mother exactly what was there, named it, said it was nothing to worry about, he would treat it right now. He lanced and drained the poison from the pocket that was in the roof of Oleen's mouth, told my folks to take him home, he would soon be well.

From that day on the trouble started. Dad took him to a dental convention in Salt Lake. The doctors there found an impacted tooth, which they removed. They advised Dad to take Oleen to Mayo Brothers for treatment, and they made two or three trips to Mayo.
After they came home there was a trip every week for many years to Dr. Cowan in Salt Lake for radium treatments. My father and mother were with him nearly all the time.

Oleen was nearly always on the job, rain or shine, severe pain or not. He would spend all the time he could with our sheep, a job he thoroughly enjoyed. I never ever heard him complain about his lot in life.

The years my brother was so sick, it required a lot of Dad's time, having to be with him. It cost a lot of money that was hard to come by. We learned to get along on what we had. The only thing I took from my paychecks was money for some Bull Durham and a pint of bootleg whiskey. Then I'd go back to work.

From the book 'Reflections of a Cowboy' by Oleen's brother Stan Jenkins, a hard working, tough man who married a school teacher my Aunt Mary who tamed him and typed all the words to his book. Uncle Stan was a very good uncle and treated me so kindly.

Julie Sue Jenkins Miller 07-29-2008

There were 4 wells on the Juniper Desert. West to east was the Jenkins Well behind Juniper Buttes, then the Rigby Well, then across the Red Road was the Rudd Well then north of Black Knoll was the Miller Well) and three bands of sheep. My Jenkins family had a ranch with a well out on Grassy (the north side of Junipers) they had horses and some cattle and three bands of sheep. They were well off for the days because of the hard work my Great Grandpa Henry did frieghting etc. Grandma Maime and Grandpa Roy did everything they earthly could to save my grandpa, for that I am grateful.