David Jenks was born to Aasel and Mabel Jenks in Woods Cross, Utah. When he was still small, they moved to Heyburn, Idaho, where he went to elementary and high school.
He married Clara Korb in 1951. They had three children. During their marriage, he was drafted into the US Army and served at Ladd Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. After nine years, the couple divorced. He moved to Spokane, Washington and lived near his eldest sister, Alice Koch.
In 1964, looking for work, he found a job as a auto body technician in Stayton, Oregon. There he met and married Suzy Seitz. They had one son, and David became father to her daughter from previous marriage. They eventually lived in Scio, Oregon where they had horses and belonged to a saddle club. He served as a volunteer firefighter for the Scio Fire Dept. They divorced after nine years.
In December 1978, while attending a Parents Without Partners meeting in Salem, he met Lynn Kassell. They married May 19, 1979, and lived in Silverton along with her son from a previous marriage. In 1984 they moved to 3-½ acres outside Silverton where they lived the remainder of his life.
David was a firefighter for the Silverton Fire Department for about 15 years and in that time he also became an EMT1. David, Lynn, who also became an EMT, Russ Morrison and Bob McGowan were on a permanent on call team for about three years, responding on calls for service. They parked the ambulance in the Morrison barn and respond from there.
David was a member of the Silverton Lions Club for several years. He could be seen at Homer Davenport Days flipping pancakes at the grill.
He enjoyed the outdoors: hunting, fishing, camping, RVing, dirt bike riding in the desert or just working in his garden. He raised vegetables from seed in a small green house along with many flowers. He built birdhouses from reclaimed wood using his own design and proudly gave several to family and friends. He was a very good cook and won several Dutch oven cookoffs at their annual church campout. The last couple years he became a drone pilot and made several aerial videos.
David enjoyed fellowship with family, friends and fellow church members. He delighted in spending time with his kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He enjoyed attending concerts presented by the African Children’s Choir. He and Lynn were blessed to co-sponsor one child, Stella Nabatanzi, who they consider an unofficial “adopted” daughter.
He was devoted to his Heavenly Father and went home on May 19, 2019, which was also his and Lynn’s 40th anniversary.
David is survived by his wife Lynn, children Terrie Beckman, Vickie (Les) Merle, Kelly (Donna) Jenks, Rick (Adria) Kassell, Dwayne Jenks, Denise (Kelly) Sanders and his sister Alice. There are also 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his five brothers, two of whom died at or shortly after birth, Kenneth, Varsel (Minnie) and Chuck, and one sister, Villa (Keith) Warner. He also left behind 35 nieces and nephews and many friends.
His memorial was held on May 31 at Silver Creek Fellowship where the family attended church for almost 20 years.
