James A. Jenkins

James A. Jenkins, M.D., passed away Friday, Jan. 13 in the Montgomery County Nursing Home. He was 84. Born in Kosciusko, Miss., he grew up in Longview, Texas and El Dorado, where he graduated from high school. He served two years in the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds Chemical Warfare Plant. He graduated from Ouachita Baptist College and the University of Arkansas School of Medicine with the class of 1955. After his residency at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Wash., he established a family practice in Waldron, Ark. before there was a hospital in Scott County. He had privileges at Sparks, St. Edward and Mena hospitals. He helped establish the first hospital in Waldron and was the last doctor in Scott County to deliver babies at patients' homes. After 16 years there, he closed his practice and returned to UAMS for a three-year residency in psychiatry. He had a private practice in Little Rock and worked at Fort Roots VA hospital before becoming medical director of the mental health center in Fort Smith, and retired from the mental health center in Texarkana. He was interim medical director of Montgomery County Nursing Home in the 1980s. Upon his retirement, he and his wife planned and built their own log home on part of the farm where she grew up, just east of Mount Ida. He was active in amateur radio with the call sign of AA5AD. He was a licensed pilot and had a passion for flying. Survivors include his wife, Druzelle, of the home; three sons, Jeff (Cindy) of Cabot, Jon, of Corona, Calif., Steven, of North Little Rock; two sisters, Sara Ward of Little Rock and Ruby Pennington of El Dorado; three stepsons, Jeffrey Irons of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., David (Vickii) Irons of Broken Arrow, Okla., Steven (Joanne) Irons of Mechanicsville, Va.; two stepdaughters, Mary Grimes of Conroe, Texas, Joanne (Steve) Napper of Castle Pines, Colo.; two granddaughters, Jacqueline Jenkins of Fayetteville and Jennifer Jenkins of California; one grandson, Josh Jenkins of Memphis; eight step-grandchildren; and six step-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 2-4 on Sunday, Jan. 15 at Thornton Funeral Home in Mount Ida, with funeral services on Monday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church. Remembrances may be made to the charity of one's choice, or to the Stanley-Standridge Cemetery Association in care of the First National Bank of Mount Ida.