Mildred Lorraine Clark Jenkins, age 91, passed away on October 9, 2023 at the Simerson Green House Home in Tupelo, Mississippi.  Born on February 22, 1932 in Smithdale, Mississippi, Mildred was the oldest daughter of Odis Leroy and Lula Whittington Clark.  She grew up with her four siblings on a dairy farm in the East Fork community in Amite County.   Like most farm children, Mildred milked cows, picked cotton and worked in the garden.  She attended East Fork Elementary and graduated from Liberty High School where she was a star basketball player, a cheerleader and received the Best School Spirit award.    After high school, she attended Draughn's Business College in Jackson, Mississippi.  Her first job after college was as a deputy Chancery Clerk under Amite County Chancery Clerks, John H. Parker and T.P. Hearndon.  During this time, she dated Bennie Jenkins, her future husband, who was serving as a deputy sheriff alongside his father, Amite County Sheriff, Tom Ira Jenkins.  In 1954, they married on September 19 at the East Fork Baptist Church.  Three daughters followed this union.

Mildred worked for Dr. Edsel F. Stewart as an assistant and office manager in Gloster, Mississippi when he opened his first practice in the 1960's.  When Dr. Stewart left Gloster for an OB-GYN residency, she joined Dr. Paul Newman's practice in Liberty as a dental assistant.  In 1965, when Bennie left his job as a school teacher in Liberty to work for Woodman of the World Life Insurance as a district manager, the family moved to McComb, Mississippi.  Mildred resumed her association with Dr. Stewart when he opened his OB-GYN practice in McComb.  She served as his Office Manager and assistant for 38 years until her retirement in 1997.

As the mother of three girls, Mildred encouraged their participation in church, school and community activities.  She was an accomplished seamstress and was recognized for the beautiful costumes she designed and made for dance recitals, pageants and school musicals.  Her daughters always wore beautiful gowns for school formals, parties and special events which she also designed and spent countless hours, late at night, crafting and sewing.  She was known for her own personal style which was classic and always fashionable.  Even into her 90's, Mildred dressed with flair and always wanted to look her best.

She was a member of the National Secretary's Association where she served as an officer and as its representative in the McComb Junior Auxiliary's Azalea Court; an officer of the Otken Elementary PTA; the McComb Garden Club where she won awards for floral design; an active member of First Baptist Church of McComb where she and Bennie taught Youth Sunday School for many years.   Even though working a full-time job, she never missed a dance recital, a school play, a softball game, a band concert or any other activity in which her daughters participated.  One of her greatest accomplishments with Bennie was to see her girls graduate from college.  All three daughters attended the University of Mississippi and received undergraduate and post-graduate degrees.

In her retirement years, Mildred enjoyed being "MiMi" to her five grandchildren and 8 great-grands.

She is survived by her daughters, Sonja A. Jenkins of Tupelo, MS, and Lucy Jenkins Sanguinetti (Jay) of Hattiesburg, MS; her grandchildren:  Whit Sanguinetti (Claire) of Hattiesburg; Abbie Sanguinetti Zimmerman (Kyle) of Victorville, CA ; Olivia Sanguinetti Miley (Blake) of Hattiesburg, MS; Alexa Mallory Dewey (Chad) of West Monroe, LA; and Stewart Mallory of Natchez, Mississippi; son-in-law Mark Jeannice of Deridder, Louisiana;  Great-grandchildren:  Shepherd, Sullivan and Teddy Zimmerman; Hallie,  Jake and Lawson Dewey; Ava Blake Miley; and, Evangeline Sanguinetti;  her sister, Ella Jane Clark Hodges of Vidalia, LA; brothers/sisters-law:  Oscar Jenkins of Lecanto, FL; Sue and Bobby Windsor of Bradenburg, FL; Frances and Jack McDaniel of Kingston, GA; Patricia Jenkins and Stephan Couillette of Slidell, LA; Allen and Geri Jenkins of Thomasville, GA;  Twenty nieces and nephews; her "adopted " daughter, Betsy Shelton and her devoted friends and caretakers, Sarah Taylor and Susan Jackson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bennie Martin Jenkins; her daughter, Tanya Jenkins Mallory Jeannice; her parents, Odis and Lucy Clark; her siblings, M.C. "Bill" Clark, Anna Clark Freeman, and A.J. Clark.

Arrangements are through Hartman-Jones Funeral Home in McComb.  Visitation will be on Friday, October 13 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. followed by a service of celebration at the funeral home.  Burial will be at the Liberty Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. in Liberty MS.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Mildred's memory to McComb First Baptist Church, the American Heart Association or the Methodist Senior Services' Sunday Fund.