Life History

Notes

• California Birth Index, 1905-1995, www.ancestry.com
  Betty Lou Jenkins
  Birth 13 Feb 1926 Los Angeles County
  Mother's Maiden Name Stinson
  
  1930 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California, 9 April, Artesia, District 19-1191, page 7B-8A, 3260 Bell Drive, Hse #180, Family #168
  Jenkins, Joseph B  Head Rents 39  First married at age 27 TX TX TX  Rotary Helper, Oil Well Drilling
  - page 8A -
  Jenkins, Lena F 29  First married at age 17  OK MO KY No Occupation
  Jenkins, Benjamin J 11 OK TX OK No Occupation
  Jenkins, Billy 9 OK TX OK No Occupation
  Jenkins, Edgar 7 OK TX OK No Occupation
  Jenkins, Robert 6 OK TX OK No Occupation
  Jenkins, Bettey Lou 4 Calif TX OK No Occupation
  Jenkins, Joan 5mos Calif TX OK  No Occupation
  
  1940 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California, 3 April, Bellflower, District 117, page 2A-2B, 947 E Center St, Hse #31 Owned, Value $6500
  Jenkins, Benjamin J Head M W 50  Grade 6 b Texas lived in Whittier CA in 1835 Cattle buyer
  Jenkins, Lena Wife F W 39  Grade 9 b OK lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Ben Jr Son M W 21 Single HS-2 b OK lived in Whittier CA in 1835 Sewing mach repairman, own business
  Jenkins, Wilmar Son M W 18 Single HS-4 b OK lived in Whittier CA in 1835 Pin setter, bowling alley
  Jenkins, Edgar Son M W 17 Single Grade 8 b OK lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Robert Son M W 31 Single Grade 1 b OK lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  - page 2B -
  Jenkins, Betty Lou Dau F W 14 Single Grade 7 b CA lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Joe Ann Dau F W 10 Single Grade 4 b CA lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Harry Son M W 9 Single Grade 2 b CA lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Marion Dau F W 7 Single Grade 1 b CA lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  Jenkins, Kathlyn Dau F W 5 Single b CA lived in Whittier CA in 1835
  
  California, Voter Registrations, 1900-1968
  Betty Lou Mrs Strickland, Democrat
  William H Strickland, Republican
  Residence 10441 Perdido Anaheim, Orange County, California, USA
  General Election 4 November 1958
  
  No further record is found for WIlliam Strickland.  His wife continued in busienss under her maiden name till she died and was buried under that name in 1988.
  
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  My great Aunt Betty-Lou was a member of AA and would time and time again go find him on "the nickle" (skid row) in LA as they lived in Bellflower, CA.  When Ben would leave on a drinking binge she had to find a way to make ends meet so she ran a boarding house on the property which is now Bellflower Chevrolet whom she sold it to.  Then she moved on some property which the house she lived in was on and also three rentals.
  
  When I was in fourth grade, we lived in one [of the rental houses] as our house went through escrow.  This information is relevent because it describes how she made a living, as a real estate agent.
  
  Grandpa Ben eventually was found for the last time on skid row in September of 1964, the reason I'm aware of this date is because he was at my first birthday party.  They (I've been told) put me on his lap and as he was smiling proceeded to feed me his porterhouse steak.  There was a picture taken of this but I'm not sure who has it at this point.  After that he lived with Aunt Betty-Lou until he was put in a rest home on Ball Road in Anaheim, CA where he stayed until, as far as i know, he died.
  --  Richard Kevin Jenkins, email to Michelle Park and Orville Boyd Jenkins, 2 September 2018
  --------------------
  
  Betty Lou's real estate agency was in Artesia.  In 1975, she was listed at an Artesia address in the Artesia, Cerritos and Norwalk City Phone Directory, in the White Pages and the Ywellow Pages.  The business was listed in the Yellow Pages of the Phone Directory.
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  Artesia, Cerritos & Norwalk, California, Blue Book Yellow Classifieds, 1975
  Jenkins Realty Company (Betty Jenkins) 17626 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia Tel 865-9514
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  Artesia, Cerritos & Norwalk, California, Blue Book Phone Directory, 1975
  Jenkins and Associates (Brian Jay Acocunting) 11669 Firestone Blvd, Norwalk Tel 868-1001
  Jenkins Betty 11400-34 Norwalk Blvd, Norwalk Tel 863-3911
  Jenkins Realty Co (Betty Jenkins) 17626 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia Tel 865-9514
  
  Betty Lou's last dated address was in Anaheim in 1986.
  
  U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
  Betty L Strickland
  Birth Date 13 Feb 1926
  21221 Mapache Dr, Pomona, CA, 91765-3424
  866 S Aspen St, Anaheim, CA, 92802-1831
  10441 Perdido St, Anaheim, CA, 92804-5647 (1986)
  
  The following Find a Grave memorial appears to be for our Betty Lou, under her maiden name, which she had been using for many years in business before her death.  This memorial has only the date of death, and has no photo of the gravestone.  Other members of her Jenkins family are buried in this cemetery in Whittier.
  
  Betty Lou Jenkins
  BIRTH 13 Feb 1926 Los Angeles County, California
  DEATH 10 May 1988 Los Angeles County, California
  BURIAL Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, Los Angeles County, California
  Mother Lena Fairy Stinson Jenkins 1901-1987
  Created by Stuart Strout Woodside Skolfield 20 Feb 2013
  --  Find A Grave Memorial 105509147, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105509147
  
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  One genealogy has reported her death as occurring in Camas, Washington, with the name Betty Lou Horn, wife of Jerrold Horn.  But their marriage is reported as occurring in 1976, while we note that public records cited above indicate that in 1986, Betty Lou Jenkins Strickland was still living in Anaheim, California, and in 1993 she was living in Prescott Valley, Arizona, still under her first married name of Betty Lou Strickland.  Additionally, we know from family sources that Mary Lou's father Ben lived with her for the last years of his life, and died in Anaheim in 1978.
  
  Betty Lou Horn's surviving brother was named in her obituary as James Jenkins.  Ben and Lena had no son named James.  Betty Lou Jenkins Horn in Washington is not our Betty Lou Jenkins Strickland.
  
  In addition, the birth dates of these two women differ.  On Betty Lou Jenkins Horn's grave her birth date, as reported on her memorial on Find a Grave, is 6 Oct 1926.  Betty Lou Jenkins Strickland was born on 13 February 1926.
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Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California
  • 9 April, Norwalk Township, District 1191, page 8A, 3260 Bell Drive, Hse #180, Family #168
• 2. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
• 3. 1940 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California
  • 3 April, Bellflower, District 117, page 2B, 947 E Center St, Hse #31 Owned, Value $6500
• 4. California Birth Index, 1905-1995
• 5. JenkinsLife.Com -- Benjamin and Lena (Stinson) Jenkins
• 6. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 7. Epperson Genealogy
  • Name: Jimmy Epperson;
• 8. Richard Kevin Jenkins
• 9. California, Voter Registrations, 1900-1968
• 10. Jenkins Journal, by Harold Keith Christian
• 11. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Artesia, Cerritos & Norwalk, California, Phone Book, 1975
• 12. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Artesia, Cerritos & Norwalk, California, Blue Book Yellow Classifieds, 1975