Joseph Edward Jenkins grew up in Benton and Hickory Co Missouri, the son of Abraham Jenkins and Mary (Greene) Jenkins. He married 19 Sept 1882 in Hickory Co MO Nancy Melvina Heath b. 2 July 1867 Scott, IL d. 4 Apr 1898 Orcutt, CA. She was the daughter of Callaway Green Heath and his wife Milly Ann (Holloway) Heath from Benton Co MO. Nancy Melvina Jenkins died in 1898 and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Santa Maria, CA by her parents. They had 6 children together. He remarried 1907 Wilhelmina Andrea Minnie Ipsen b. 26 Jan 1874.

After Nancy Melvina Heath dies in 1898, Joseph Edward Jenkins seems to have taken off by himself and placed his children in care. He is found working as a teamster in Pinal, Arizona Territory, age 38, no children with him. However, in June 1900 four of these children of Nancy Melvina Heath are enumerated as living in the ‘Good Templars Home for Orphans’ in Vallejo, Solano Co. CA. In 1910 Joseph Edward Jenkins reappears living in Kern Co. CA and has some of his children with him again. He has also remarried. He remarried in 1907 in Rosedale, Kern Co. CA, Wilhelmina Andrea Minnie’ IPSEN b.26 Jan 1874 Denmark, d. 26 June 1961 in Bakersfield, Kern Co. CA. In 1920 census the son Allen Jenkins is living in Kern Co. CA in the home of his uncle William Jonas Heath. In the 1930 census, Minnie (Ipsen) Jenkins is widowed, working as a housekeeper for a private family and living with the following children in Bakersfield, Kern Co. CA: Nancy J Jenkins, Eva W. Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Joe E Jenkins, all teenagers. Nancy is working as a public school teacher. Joseph Edward Jenkins is buried in Union Cemetery, Kern Co. CA Nancy Melvina (Heath) Jenkins is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Santa Barbara Co. CA where her father Callaway Green Heath, his wife Milly and other Heath and Holloway family members are buried. Nancy Melvina Heath died of tuberculosis at a young age, her husband Joseph E Jenkins died of Bright’s disease. Nancy was just 29 1/2 yrs old when she died.

First marriage children were:
Thomas Richard Jenkins b. 30 Aug 1883 Ray Co MO
Margaret May 'Maggie' Jenkins b. 5 Mar 1885 Ray Co MO
Marjorie 'Margie' Leona Jenkins b. 16 Jan 1887 Ray Co MO
Charles Harrison 'Harry' Jenkins b. 21 June 1891 Santa Barbara Co CA
Allen Greene Jenkins b. 15 May 1893 CA
Mildred Elizabeth 'Millie' Jenkins b. 1 Mar 1895 Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Co CA

His parents are misspelled on the early census as Jinkins.