Obituary of Doris Jenkins

Celebration of Life
Doris Jenkins
Jan. 21, 1923 – Jan. 5, 2023

       It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Doris Jenkins (nee Chabaylo) on January 5, 2023, just 16 days short of her 100th birthday. Doris was born January 21, 1923 on the family farm by Insinger. She was the fourth child of eight born to Mary and Metro Chabaylo.  Mom’s education consisted of passing 8 grades in 5 years at the Aysgarth School, taking Grades 9 - 11 by correspondence, and at the age of 16, attending the Yorkton Collegiate for Grade 12, while working for her room and board. She then proceeded to Normal School in Regina to become a teacher.

       Mom was a highly-regarded teacher and taught 6 years before marrying Kenneth John Jenkins of Springside, on May 21, 1949. Exactly seventy-four years from their wedding date, Mom will be reunited with Dad once again, on May 21, 2023, when she will be laid to rest beside him.

       Mom and Dad worked hard on their mixed farm and welcomed 3 daughters into their lives. Mom loved farm life and spent many hours in her yard and garden, then preserved the garden bounty every fall. She loved her flower garden and enjoyed receiving bouquets of flowers throughout her life.

       Mom loved to entertain and enjoyed having company. She had a very social personality and was very hospitable, engaging anyone in a conversation and sharing her quick wit and laughter. She loved to bake and make tasty, beautiful creations, which she shared with her company or donated for bake sales and community events. She was very creative, with an artistic eye

        Mom’s hands were always busy and productive. In her younger years, she made intricate needlework and shell-jewellery pieces, dabbled in woodworking, making and then painting, doorstops, bookends, and yard decorations. She even created plaster wall plaques. As her family grew, she sewed clothing and crocheted, along with knitting extensively - making gorgeous sweaters, mitts and toques for her girls and grandchildren. She also knit afghans, and quilted many baby blankets for her grandchildren.

       Not only were her hands always busy, but her mind was, too. She kept her mind sharp by challenging it with mind-bending puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, Cryptoquips, and a variety of card games which she loved to teach to all who came to visit. Even at 99 years & 349 days, her mind remained brilliant. She not only remembered the past and the present but also many small details about people she’d met, and sometimes, things that we had forgotten.

       Mom played the hand she was dealt when she became a widow at the age of 47.  Like the jigsaw puzzles she loved to do, she took what life threw at her and pieced together a life for herself and her daughters with one chief goal: to provide each of her daughters with further  education. Through her determination, hard work, and selflessness she reached that goal.

Mom was strong, fiercely independent, determined, and very hardworking, doing the best she could at anything she did.  She believed a “job worth doing, was a job worth doing well”. Mom was also a kind, generous, fair, loyal, spunky woman, with a great sense of humour, teasing manner, and quick wit. She loved to help other people and could be found volunteering with the Springside 4H club, or at community events, or even driving friends to appointments.  

       A year after Dad passed away, Mom began work in housekeeping at the Yorkton Union Hospital, where she worked 17 years until retiring at age 65.  Within weeks of retirement, she started traveling.  She toured Hawaii and some States, BC and the Maritimes, then cruised to the Caribbean and Alaska. Mom lived life with enthusiasm and vigor!

       Mom was a very active lady and always kept busy, rarely sitting down to relax. She loved playing sports when she was young, especially softball and curling. As a new wife, there was dancing and square-dancing. Even into her 70s, Grandma could often be found tobogganing with her grandchildren. In her later years, Mom enjoyed watching Blue Jays baseball, hockey, curling and Sask. Roughrider Football.  She was an avid sports fan!

       When Mom turned 79, she took an apartment in Saskatoon where she spent the winters, going back to her beloved Springside farm for spring, summer and fall. At age 90, she permanently moved to Saskatoon.

       Mom was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth, on November 9, 1970; her father Metro Chabaylo, on June 9, 1955; her mother Mary Chabaylo (nee Snatinski), on June 30, 1968; her 4 brothers: Nick, John, Elia and George; and her 2 sisters: Anne and Verna.

       Mom will be dearly missed at family gatherings by her daughters June Jenkins, Darlene Berry (Kelly), Wendy Jenkins Gauthier (Marc Gauthier); her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Allen Paley (Shantel Mills); Aaron Paley; April Sturko and Owen; Terra Flahr (Jordy), River and Georgia; Erika Zoerb (Jeff), Violet and Hazel; Michael Berry (Nicole Ackerman) and Camden; Crystal Boire (Justin Maher); Lyndsey Graham (Mike Klapey), Aiden, Ayla and Ethan; Chalsey Boire (Dustin Browne), Eli and Theoren; Steven Gauthier and Abigail; Andre Gauthier (Kendra) and Adéline; and her one surviving brother, Michael Chabaylo (Agnes), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life to honour her will be held at the Springside Town Hall, Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, those so wishing may make donations in memory of Doris Jenkins to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Count your garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall,
Count your days by golden hours, don’t remember clouds at all!
Count your nights by stars – not shadows, count your life with smiles not tears,
And as time so quickly passes, count your age by friends not years.