Could you please get this to the Chuck and Mary Stuart family for us. We know it is long but hope it may mean something to them. Many thanks..
I doubt that the family knows of me. My name is Don Jenkins (Donald Jenkins). I was born on Samuel Street in Elyria, Ohio in 1936 and moved to 165 Courtland Street in Elyria, I think in 1941 when I was 5. When I was 14 or 15 I had made several friends in the area of my home, which included Eugene (Gene) Meyers, Richard (Dick) Clark, Dennis Kochis, and Frank Brunner. They were my closest friends. I had others but the five of us hung out together, very close. I cannot remember how or why but one day our group plus others in the area began to play softball/ baseball on an open field on High Street. That field was very close to a family by the name of Stuart, in fact Chuck and Mary Stuart. We were soon to be known as ?The West Side Boys Club? ? a name that Chuck dubbed us with. We even paid dues each month although the money and time that was put in to the club was probably a lot of money that they could have easily used elsewhere in their family. Chuck and Mary took to us quickly, again I am not sure why but before we knew it Chuck was spending an awful lot of time with us. In fact he cleared the field with a little of our help, built a baseball dugout and a backstop and did much more. We began to spend a lot of our time there. In fact, probably more than Mary liked because it took Chuck away from her a lot of the time. I am not sure where they stood with children of their own, if they had any, or planned on having any. But just for anyone?s information, I personally think they, the two of them, saved our lives. None of us came from wealthy families nor were we the elite of the sports world so we could have wound up in trouble very easily, but, Chuck and Mary were there and liked us and gave us a reason to be ?good?. We played baseball in that field, and football and even had our own Olympics. We substituted an old Ford hubcap for a discus, threw an old wooden pole for the javelin, threw a brick for a shot put, and many other substitutes. I remember many a night Mary calling ?Chuck, dinner is ready? and he would respond with ?Yes, I?ll be there in a minute? and maybe an hour later he would make it in. The two of them were GREAT people and speaking for myself I believe to this day that the reason I survived and made something of myself is largely due to them and the ?West Side Boys Club?. God bless the two of them for the example they set and for the love and caring they showed for ?some boys that lived in the neighborhood?. I am sure that is not the only love they showed to others. Following those times I married and my wife Jen and I had five children. I joined the U. S. Air Force after graduating from high school and made a career of it. I remember one of the times we came back home for a visit to see our folks that Jen and I went out to Ridgeville to see Chuck and Mary. It was great. They may have been older but they never changed. I will always have a special place in my heart for two people that cared enough to influence the lives of some plain old neighborhood boys and saved them from who knows what. We know that the good Lord has a special place for them in heaven. God Bless them. Having read now the obituary we realize they did have children. We know the blessings they must feel of having two great parents like Chuck and Mary around to influence them. We hope you do not mind this letter. We regret we were not there to pay our respects. Sincerely, Don and Jen Jenkins, 715 W 850 S, Orem, Utah, 84058
