Mary Jenkins was born in 1907, the daughter of Morgan & Lucy Jenkins.  Morgan ran a grain elevator on the east side of town along the Santa Fe railroad.

After high school, Mary attended the University of Physical Training in Chicago and earned a two-year degree.  After a few years teaching in Wisconsin, she returned to the area and attended Eureka College and Bradley University, adding an English degree to her repertoire.

In 1934, she found work as the supervisor of the summer playground activities program for Washington youth, funded through the Civil Works Service portion of The New Deal.

In the fall of 1937, Mary began teaching in Washington schools.  She taught PE for all grades in the old school on Spruce Street.  When the high school moved to Bondurant Street in 1942, she was part of the first faculty to teach there, teaching girls P.E. and English and supervising the G.A.A. (Girls Athletic Association).

After that first year at Bondurant, Jenkins resigned from her teaching position and enlisted in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).  This unit was created to enable women to serve in non-combat positions, freeing up men for combat.  She served in this unit for a few months, then returned to Washington.

In January 1944, she was hired by the Eureka school district to replace another female teacher who had decided to enlist.  Mary would remain in the Eureka school district until 1972, teaching physical education to all grades until her retirement at age 65.  During her time in Eureka, she would serve as G.A.A. sponsor and cheer coach.

A pioneer in women earning their own living, serving in the military, and an early advocate for girls athletics, Jenkins passed away in 2010 at the age of 102.