Betty Jacqueline Stevens was born in Eugene, Oregon to Lee Dale Stevens and Ethel Arlene Simpson on September 23rd, 1929 She was named after one of her mother’s friends and was soon nicknamed and known to everyone as “Jackie”.

By the time she turned 3 years old, her parents had divorced and Jackie and her mom moved back home to live with her mom’s family. Sometime after they returned to live with her mother’s family, her mom met and married William “Bill” Jennings Rickert. William Rickert instantly became Jackie’s “real” dad.

Her new family moved around a lot due to her dad’s occupation as a logger. During one calendar year, Jackie ended up attending 6 different schools due to all the relocating. Despite all the rearranging, Jackie thoroughly enjoyed school and made many, many long lasting friendships there. Her favorite subject to study was math. As far as extracurricular activities went, Jackie played volleyball and softball in high school and graduated from Crow High School in Eugene, Oregon.

After high school, Jackie was working in her family’s gas station when she met and married Darrell Dean Jenkins. They proceeded to have three children; Danny Dean, Bonnie Jean and Robert (Bob) William. The family lived in the southern part of Oregon where Darrell worked in the logging business. In 1959, the family moved Corbett, in the eastern part of Multnomah County, Oregon. After a few years, she divorced Darrell and lived with her parents and worked as a waitress at Kitchen Kettle in Portland and later at the Royal Chinook Inn in Corbett, Oregon.

In 1962, Jackie met and married Albert Kimbley and had 3 children with him; Timothy Evan, John Vancil and Marcella Jane. She helped and supported all her kids in sports and activities and enjoyed every minute of it. She worked at the Springdale Grocery Market for a few years. In the 1980’s, she divorced Albert and moved next into a mobile home next to Dave’s Market in Corbett. This mobile home was also across the street from the Corbett Fire Station, which provided countless hours of anticipation and entertainment for her grandchildren.

While living there, she worked for Coyote Archery for a few years. After retiring, she moved to the Mattie Younkin Apartments in Gresham. She made many great friends there, she really loved living and being there with those friends!

Then in January 2012, Jackie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She moved in with her daughter Bonnie in May of 2012 and was cared for there by her family until she finally lost her battle with cancer and passed away on September 4th, 2014.

She is survived by her sons; Danny of Fairview, OR; Bob of Corbett, OR; Timothy of Olympia, WA. She is survived by her daughters; Bonnie of Oregon City, OR; Marcy of Wyoming. She is also survived by her sister Vicki Espenel of Gresham, Oregon. In perhaps her greatest role, Jackie is also survived by 22 grandchildren and at least 14 great-grandchildren who loved her so much and will miss her terribly.

Jackie was a no-fuss, unpretentious mother and grandmother, but she made such an important, loving and lasting impact on those who loved her and knew her best. She will not be forgotten.

At Jackie’s request, a simple, but special graveside service was held for her close family and friends at Mountain View Cemetery in Corbett, Oregon on September 11th, 2014.

If you’d like to honor Jackie’s memory, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in her behalf. Thank you very much.