John "Grady" Jenkins

Funeral services for Grady Jenkins, 90, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sat., Nov. 13, 2021, at the First Baptist Church with Rev. Philip Smith officiating, assisted by Rev. Randy Rankin.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Brian Arnold, Jim Davis, Alfonso Gomez, Eldin Cooper, Chris Duncan and Don Davis serving as pallbearers.

John Grady Jenkins, known to virtually everyone as Grady, was born Sept. 1, 1931 in Temple, TX, to the home of Zella (Ball) and Grady Jenkins and died Nov. 9, 2021, in Portales.  Mr. Jenkins graduated from Temple High School in 1948.  He attended Temple Junior College for a short time, and then in 1951 he joined the U. S. Navy.  Following his discharge, he resumed his college education at what was then Texas Technological College in Lubbock.  Grady was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.  He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Management in 1955.

Grady went to work for Shell Oil Co. in Odessa.  While working there, he went on a blind date and met Celia Pember who was teaching there.  They were married in Portales on July 23, 1960.  Their first home was in Roswell.  In 1965, they moved to Midland.  In 1973, his father-in-law, Royce Pember, was preparing to retire, so Grady moved his family to Portales, and he began farming with Mr. Pember.  Grady continued to farm as long as his health would permit.

Grady was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church and had served as a deacon for approximately the last 40 years.  He was a member of the Portales Rotary Club and had been honored as a Paul Harris Fellow.  Grady was an avid Texas Tech Football and Basketball fan.

He is survived by Celia, his wife of more than 61 years of their home; two daughters and sons-in-law, Melissa and Eric Miller of Kingwood, TX, and Marcia and Val McDannel of Thornton, CO; four grandchildren, Morgan (Ryan) Adams, Michelle (Matt) O'Haugherty, Taylor (Daniel) McLaughlin and Tara (Joel) Leasure; two great-grandchildren, Grayson Adams and Aiden McLaughlin; a brother, Tom Jenkins & wife Claudia of South Lake, TX; and a sister, Ann Balch of Dallas, TX.  He was preceded in death by both of his parents.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John "Grady" Jenkins, please visit our floral store.