I miss you Steve! I think about you all of the time! And, I still find it hard to believe that you are gone. A lot has changed since you left this world... some good and some bad. I will tell you all about it when we meet again. I love and miss you with all of my heart!

In Memory of Steve Jenrette October 26, 1963 – November 2, 2011 Steve never spoke to his children, siblings, or friends without telling them that he loved them. He always wanted to make sure his family and friends knew that. He was a person that never let an opportunity pass to show his mother, close friends, or the love of his life, how much they meant to him. He was a soft spoken, gentle hearted man. He loved his pets with almost the same dedication and joy that he loved his family. He was young of heart and mind and gone far too soon. Steve was not only a father to his sons, but a friend as well. And although Steve was a father at a young age and truly grew up with his children, he did his best to always be there for them, to encourage them, teach them, and cherish them. He loved to tell his stories of life lessons in his calm, quiet, demeanor that always managed to capture the person’s attention. He could make a person laugh or cry depending on the situation. Whether it was tears of joy or sadness, he knew how to make someone feel that their feelings meant everything to him. He had a wonderful sense of humor and loved sharing funny stories or jokes. He also loved being a granddad. He bragged about his grandchildren with as much pride as he did his children. Steve was also a collector. His collection wouldn’t bring him wealth and couldn’t be sold. His collection was small. It was mementos given to him from a beloved family member or friend. Things that had no monetary value but were of priceless meaning to him, a picture drawn by a little sister many years ago when she was a little girl, an uncle’s glasses case, a sketch given to him by a beloved nephew who’s artistic skill he admired, or simply a family photograph from his childhood. Steve not only made friends easily but they became his friends for life. His hunting trips with his brother, Wanis, and nephew, Zach, were a source of joy and became a part of the stories he shared. He also had such a friendship and love for his cousin, John, who had been like a brother to him. They spent many days working and hanging out together. Steve took his death especially hard. Another such friendship was for his best friend and the love of his life, Vonnie, who shared her precious mother, Anna May, with Steve. Anna May became a second mother, a teacher, a confident. She was someone Steve loved and trusted to always share her honesty, and he was always thankful to have her in his life. Steve would help anyone do anything that needed to be done regardless of the time or energy it took to complete the task. On a recent trip to Wisconsin, when his mother was ill, he spent many hours working with his brother-in-law, Donnie, to complete a kitchen remodel in his sister Mary’s house and in the process Steve and Donnie became good friends. Steve had a caring and generous spirit. And though he didn’t have a lot, what he did have, he shared. Steve’s older siblings, Wanis, Mary, Angie, James, and Chris will miss their little brother, Stevie. They will cherish their memories of the little boy they grew up with. Steve became the baby of the family after his younger brother Patrick passed away in 1966. His siblings sometimes spoiled him because of his new role as the youngest. Steve grew up to be meticulous in his appearance and took great pride as a young man in being a “ladies man”, which led to marriage at the age of 16. Never to be outdone by his siblings, he became a father at the young age of 16 with his first wife, Kathy, who gave him a stepdaughter Monica and two sons, Steven and Randy. When he became a big brother again in 1985 to his little sister, Candice, Steve took his role as big brother very seriously and loved Candy with the same dedication as he did his older siblings. His children gave him seven beautiful grandchildren. Steven and Angel’s two sons, Steven and Stefon and Randy and Rhonda’s four children, Calep, Cameron, Randy, and Layla, and daughter, Monica’s son, Emmanuel. Steve also has 22 nieces and nephews and he did his best to connect with them through his brothers and sisters. And although Steve didn’t see them as often as he would have liked because of the distances between them, he managed to make the most of the time and conversations with them. The recent loss of his mother, made him even more introspective than he usually was. His love of God and family, kept his faith strong and he would often talk of his life and how he felt about the people in it. His health in recent years had declined to the point that he often shared with family and friends how he felt about his life, his relationships, and how he wanted people to remember him. He was truly loved and truly cherished by his siblings, children, family and friends. Steve… Steve… you know we love you and you will forever remain a part of us.

We all miss you so so much! We love you Steve!