Florence Jenkins Muse

     Florence Jenkins Muse; evangelist, poet, teacher, journalist, was born May 2, 1929, the seventh of ten children in the family of Warren and Ada Jenkins at Coles Point, Westmoreland County, in her beloved Northern Neck of Virginia. She began writing poetry at the age of eight and a column for the Northern Neck News at age 14, which she continued for the most part of 57 years. In recent years, the correspondents were restricted to how much they could write and she obeyed the rules. However, a new, young editor came on the scene and was throwing quite a bit of her newsletter in the trash. She told him to print it or she would not write her and he told her she was no longer needed. These days she writes for Chesapeake Style. Beginning her teaching career at age 19, she has taught in public schools, private schools, tutored at home, volunteered at public and private schools, taught Sunday School and has been a mentor to hundreds of youth through the years. 

    Having eighty-five nieces and nephews, which includes grands and greats, of her own, she has affectionately become known as "Aunt Florence" to many, many more. Florence is now a widow and living at the home of her childhood, lovingly known as the "Homeplace" in Coles Point, Virginia. For forty years she lived at Washington's Birthplace at the other end of Westmoreland. Having Jesus Christ as her Savior since the age of eight has been her greatest joy and among her hobbies are interior decorating, cooking, gardening, conchology, crafts, traveling (which has been quite limited lately) and being a member of the Westmoreland Garden Club for 38 years and Rappatomac Writers for more than 20 years.