Biographies: Sion E. Jenkins, 1951, Winn Parish, LA.
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: May 10, 1951 Winn Parish Enterprise

Know Your Neighbor

Sion Jenkins Looks Back On Varied Career

Sion E. Jenkins is known to most Winn Parish people as postmaster at
Winnfield, and a former rural route carrier.  However, an interview this week
revealed him as a jack-of-many-trades in his younger days.

"I've done a little of most everything anyone else had done a lot of", the
longtime postal employee said.

Born in 1891 in Ward Seven, Winn Parish, Mr. Jenkins has worked in various
shipbuilding and marine trades, as commissary clerk, assistant superintendent
and superintendent at the old Southern Mineral and Land Improvement Company
(rock quarry), as a hotel clerk, telephone worker, and various other jobs
before entering the U. S. Postal service in 1920.

He reached the 30 year mark in the post office March 2 of this year, and is
eligible to retire at any time.

When he was eight years old, his family moved form their farm in Ward Seven
to Mount Lebanon, old home of the present Louisiana College, which was later
moved to Pineville.

After about a year at Mount Lebanon, the family moved to near Calvin, and then
to Winnfield.  In 1911, Sion Jenkins went to work at the rock quarry, and
worked there for years.

In July 1918, he left home and went to work in a Mobile, Alabama shipyard. 
While there, the shipbuilding company built two 7,500-ton steel seagoing
barges, tow be used in the coal service through the Panama Canal.

Later he came to New Orleans and worked several months in a shipyard there
until he took the postal examination and was hired in March 1920 as a
substitute clerk.  He later was promoted to regular clerk and in 1926 he came
to Winnfield to take over rural route four as a carrier, a job which he
held until February 1948.  He was then named acting postmaster, and later,
postmaster.

Mr. Jenkins has been a member of the Winnfield Lions Club since 1942, and has
held the office of president, tailtwister, zone chairman, and as chairman
of numerous committees.  He has participated in every minstrel staged since
joining the Lions.

Never lacking a funny story (he even makes them up as he goes along
sometimes), Lion Jenkins has been the life of many meetings, with his wit and
clowning ability.  On one occasion, he reversed his field and almost had the
Lions shedding tears as he eloquently expounded on the Lion code of ethics.
Although his shiny dome has been the target for many pointed jokes by his
fellow Lions, he has proved that he can "take it" as well as "dish it out."

While serving as president, Mr. Jenkins was an active sponsor of a move to get
dial telephones in Winnfield, and was a leader in getting the recently
completed Tremont Park Recreation Center built.  He served as first Recreation
Commission chairman.

He has a seven-year perfect attendance record in the Lions club.

His other club activities include membership in the Winn Parish Sportsmen's
Club.  His wife, Mrs. Lillie Jenkins is also an active member in civic work,
including the Pilot Club and other organizations.