Perhaps the greatest coach in Henry County history. His 1949 E.W. Grove High School football team, was undefeated. They won the state championship that year, by beating Jackson Centrel high 33-6. Centrel had been unbeaten, and had not allowed a point all year! He was a Charter Inductee of the Henry County Sports Hall of Fame. Eleven of his former players, are also members.
Bob Jelks earned respect of others. Former coach had passion for 'his boys'.
What set Robert Jelks apart from other men was his ability to inspire respect.
Whatever he did, whatever he said, wherever he went, others respected him.
Among the athletes whom he had coached at Grove High School, 'that respect amounted almost - to a cult following. His "players idolized' him,' and he responded with a deep affection ,for them all. The terms "Blue-Devils" and "Coach Jelks" will forever be closely linked.
Jelks lobbied hard and with no apology to get as many of his former players inducted into the Henry County Sports Hall of Fame as possible. If he failed to be as passionate about athletes he had not coached, it was out of his deep love for "his boys."
The respect he earned wasn't limited to athletics. As a business and civic leader, he was straight-arrow, a hard-working and committed man with a brilliant smile.
Jelks did not suffer fools lightly. He was good at enlisting others to join him in worthwhile civic projects, and he expected them to be as committed, as energetic and as capable of concentrating on the task at hand as he.
An example is the Heritage Center, where he served as a trustee for years and kept an eye on every detail of operations.
When he found something that needed to be done, he didn't wait to bring it before the board and suggest that somebody do something, he drafted a crew of helpers and did it himself.
On one such occasion, well into what passed for retirement - he never really stopped working - when he was becoming physically frail and had two bad knees, he was found high up on a ladder, repairing a damaged ceiling.
Bob Jelks earned the respect of others. He was, a plumb line of a man, slender and straight and true.
**************
Coached & taught Science at Grove High School (Paris, TN) from the Class of 1943 through Class of 1951.
***************
Published in The Jackson Sun on Feb. 19, 2006
Obit Contributed By: Debra Ann Click Shouhed FAG#48576588
Funeral services for Robert Mixon Jelks 91 will be held at 10:00 AM Monday February 20 2006 at First Baptist Church in Paris TN with Dr. Bob Agee of Jackson TN and Charles Orr of First Baptist Church Paris TN officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Cemetery.
Mr. Jelks died Thursday February 16 2006 at his home.
He was born February 14 1915 in Tylertown MS the son of the late Hiram and Cassie Jelks.
Mr. Jelks attended Lexie High School in Tylertown MS Pearl River Community College in Poplarville MS and Union University in Jackson TN. He received a masters degree from George Peabody College in Nashville TN.
Mr. Jelks was a member of First Baptist Church where he was a member of the Men's Bible Class Deacon Sunday School Superintendent and a Sunday School Teacher. He was a high school and college teacher and coach.
Since 1953 he has been in the insurance industry and in 1958 purchased Paris Insurance Agency. Mr. Jelks was a member of Paris Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Shrine Club, Elks Lodge, Save the Grove Tower Organization. Paris Henry Co. Heritage Center, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees at Union University 21 yrs., an d New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 10 yrs.,
Mr. Jelks was Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year in 1978, Pearl River Community College and Henry Co. Sports Hall of Fame Charter inductee, and recipient of Excellence Community Service Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. He was active in Pop Warner football, Little League baseball, Boy Scouts football Basketball official in the TSSAA football, official with the OVC.
He was preceded in death by a daughters Cynthia Kay Jelks in 1976; four sisters and three brothers
Perhaps the greatest coach in Henry County history. His 1949 E.W. Grove High School football team, was undefeated. They won the state championship that year, by beating Jackson Centrel high 33-6. Centrel had been unbeaten, and had not allowed a point all year! He was a Charter Inductee of the Henry County Sports Hall of Fame. Eleven of his former players, are also members.
Bob Jelks earned respect of others. Former coach had passion for 'his boys'.
What set Robert Jelks apart from other men was his ability to inspire respect.
Whatever he did, whatever he said, wherever he went, others respected him.
Among the athletes whom he had coached at Grove High School, 'that respect amounted almost - to a cult following. His "players idolized' him,' and he responded with a deep affection ,for them all. The terms "Blue-Devils" and "Coach Jelks" will forever be closely linked.
Jelks lobbied hard and with no apology to get as many of his former players inducted into the Henry County Sports Hall of Fame as possible. If he failed to be as passionate about athletes he had not coached, it was out of his deep love for "his boys."
The respect he earned wasn't limited to athletics. As a business and civic leader, he was straight-arrow, a hard-working and committed man with a brilliant smile.
Jelks did not suffer fools lightly. He was good at enlisting others to join him in worthwhile civic projects, and he expected them to be as committed, as energetic and as capable of concentrating on the task at hand as he.
An example is the Heritage Center, where he served as a trustee for years and kept an eye on every detail of operations.
When he found something that needed to be done, he didn't wait to bring it before the board and suggest that somebody do something, he drafted a crew of helpers and did it himself.
On one such occasion, well into what passed for retirement - he never really stopped working - when he was becoming physically frail and had two bad knees, he was found high up on a ladder, repairing a damaged ceiling.
Bob Jelks earned the respect of others. He was, a plumb line of a man, slender and straight and true.
**************
Coached & taught Science at Grove High School (Paris, TN) from the Class of 1943 through Class of 1951.
***************
Published in The Jackson Sun on Feb. 19, 2006
Obit Contributed By: Debra Ann Click Shouhed FAG#48576588
Funeral services for Robert Mixon Jelks 91 will be held at 10:00 AM Monday February 20 2006 at First Baptist Church in Paris TN with Dr. Bob Agee of Jackson TN and Charles Orr of First Baptist Church Paris TN officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Cemetery.
Mr. Jelks died Thursday February 16 2006 at his home.
He was born February 14 1915 in Tylertown MS the son of the late Hiram and Cassie Jelks.
Mr. Jelks attended Lexie High School in Tylertown MS Pearl River Community College in Poplarville MS and Union University in Jackson TN. He received a masters degree from George Peabody College in Nashville TN.
Mr. Jelks was a member of First Baptist Church where he was a member of the Men's Bible Class Deacon Sunday School Superintendent and a Sunday School Teacher. He was a high school and college teacher and coach.
Since 1953 he has been in the insurance industry and in 1958 purchased Paris Insurance Agency. Mr. Jelks was a member of Paris Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Shrine Club, Elks Lodge, Save the Grove Tower Organization. Paris Henry Co. Heritage Center, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees at Union University 21 yrs., an d New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 10 yrs.,
Mr. Jelks was Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year in 1978, Pearl River Community College and Henry Co. Sports Hall of Fame Charter inductee, and recipient of Excellence Community Service Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. He was active in Pop Warner football, Little League baseball, Boy Scouts football Basketball official in the TSSAA football, official with the OVC.
He was preceded in death by a daughters Cynthia Kay Jelks in 1976; four sisters and three brothers
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