Charles Jenkins, Sr

Charles E. Jenkins, Sr., 89, of Las Crosse, WI, formerly of Austin, passed away Tuesday, December 18, 2018, in Hillsboro. No services are scheduled. Inurnment will take place at Mormon Coulee Memorial Park in Las Crosse, WI, at a later date.

He was born June 13, 1929, in San Angelo to Hubert and La Etta (Crane) Jenkins and was a 1946 graduate of Neville High School in Monroe, LA. In 1953, he received his Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Texas. He served his country as a U.S. Marine between high school and college, then in the U.S. Marine reserves for three years from 1953-1956.

Charles spent 38 years of his lifetime working in the field of engineering. He worked for Boeing Aircraft on the new jet airplanes; U.S. Navy Sidewinder infrared detector air to air missile project and testing Polaris missile solid fuel engines; working at Westinghouse in cooperation with Jacques-Yves Cousteau, he was manager of the Deepstar submarine diving saucer project. He was also the project manager of the University of Texas construction of the 105 inch telescope at McDonald Observatory and participation in the Apollo Lunar Laser Ranging project for NASA. Charles owned and operated a manufacturing and engineering company working in environmental testing for industry and the U.S. Air Force testing for worldwide compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

After retirement, he and his wife owned and operated “C&C Vineyards” in Grand Junction, CO, growing grapes that produced award winning wine. In 2005, Charles and Carol retired again and moved to the beautiful Mississippi valley at La Crosse, WI, where Carol was born and had extended family.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Carol Jenkins; father and mother, Hubert O. And La Etta Jenkins; sister, Betty Sue Jenkins; and brother, Hubert G. Jenkins.

Charles is survived by his brother, Richard E. Jenkins of Georgetown; daughter, Nancy Von Minden of Denver, CO; and son, Charles E. Jenkins, Jr., of New York, NY.

No services scheduled