Bobbie Jean (Henry) Adkins
L&G
Lewis & Gillum Funeral Homes
202 Maple Ave., Oak Hill, Ohio 45656
(p) 740-682-6696
Bobbie Jean (Henry) Adkins, 93, of Chillicothe, Ohio died September 1st, 2024, on her 93rd birthday, at Adena Regional Health Center in Chillicothe. She was born on September 1st, 1931, to the late Bruce Henry and Goldie (Haney) Henry in Fork Mountain, Tennessee. She was raised in and around Harlan County, Kentucky as her father traveled often as a coal miner. She was educated at the Henderson Settlement School in Pineville, Kentucky. After high school she moved to Ohio and worked many jobs before beginning a career at the National Seal Company in Van Wert, Ohio starting in 1952. She married William Douglas Adkins on April 10th, 1965, in Van Wert, Ohio. After working at the National Seal for twenty years she and her family moved to Oak Hill, and she began a second career working for the Goodyear Company in Jackson. She retired from the Goodyear Company in 1988. She was a member of the Hickory Grove Baptist Church for forty-one years. Bobbie and Doug were wed for 58 years before his passing in 2023.
She is survived by her son, Billy Joe Adkins and Christa Bailey Adkins, of Chillicothe; grandchildren, Nicholas Adkins and Jordan Walker, of Chillicothe, Corbin and Bailey Walker, of Rio Grande, and Kendal Walker, of Chillicothe;
brother-in-law, Robert Puckett, of Oak Hill; sister-in-law, Ruth (Gillespie) Adkins, of Oak Hill; sister-in-law, Phyllis (Adkins) Cooper, of Wellston. As well as many nephews, nieces, and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, William Douglas Adkins; her parents, Bruce and Goldie Henry; brothers, Louis and James Henry, and stepmother, Addie Henry.
Bobbie had many interests and hobbies throughout her life. She was an avid researcher of genealogy. She spent her retirement years recording the family trees of both the Adkins and Henry families. Bobbie also loved playing games, whether cards, board games, or croquet in the front yard. She loved her family and often organized family cookouts at holidays or family reunions. Bobbie also loved her Lord Jesus Christ and although she did not speak of her faith often, when she did there was no doubt that her faith was strong and deep. The word used most often when describing her was sweet as she was as genuine with a perfect stranger as her own child. She always made people feel at ease and gave them a smile. She will always be in our hearts and memories.
Funeral services will be held 3:00 PM Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at the Lewis & Gillum funeral home in Oak Hill. There will be a viewing from 1-3 PM with the funeral following. Burial will follow at the Hickory Grove Church Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to www.lewisgillum.com.
Good afternoon everybody, for those who may not know me, my name is Pete Wilson and I first knew Bobbie through marriage as my wife, Pam Wilson, is Bobbie’s niece. The thing that struck me about Bobbie from the very beginning was her seemingly permanent friendly and kind nature. She seemed to be on automatic nice no matter what the time, place or situation. And I could tell that her kindness and thoughtfulness was genuine. You could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice and feel it in her hugs. Pam, of course, knew Bobbie a lot longer and a lot better than I and she has written this for this occasion.
A TRIBUTE TO BOBBIE J. ADKINS
{In Loving Memory}
Written by niece, Pamela Cooper Wilson
***
Once again, the Lord has opened His loving arms and welcomed into His kingdom, our loved one – a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to all, Bobbie J. Adkins – or, as many of us knew her, just simply “Aunt Bobbie.”
Bobbie truly believed in the blessing of life itself, and in making it count. When she married into the Adkins family, she began her own little family with our Uncle Doug – but she also immediately accepted the entire Adkins family as her own; and throughout the following decades, each and every one of us felt her love. It was always around us, just like a comforting, cozy blanket.
Bobbie was so many things to so many, and her regard for the family was boundless. She seemed to approach life with an appreciation and joy from within, that tended to shine in everything she did. She was a gentle, nurturing person, who always had a smile and a warm embrace for you. She was interested in and genuinely cared for each and every one of us, and her extended family meant everything to her. She seemed to understand and accept people in a quiet, unassuming way, no matter what their differences, and was unfailingly faithful, supportive and good-humored – a great example to us all.
She loved her church family and friends, and all of the church-related activities; and nothing seemed to make her happier than a good, old-fashioned family get-together. She enjoyed celebrating the seasons, especially Christmas, and always seemed to be at the center of planning when it came to actually making it happen. She loved a sing-along, a family meal or a party – anything just to give us all the opportunity to re-connect and keep our lives intertwined. As the years passed swiftly by, it would have been so easy to lose track of one another… But Bobbie was our “Rock,” always at the center of that active family culture; and largely because of her, we all have so many more family memories to cherish.
Bobbie was an enthusiastic “Facebooker,” and used it often to reach out to and inform everyone on anything regarding the family. She was deeply passionate about family roots and heritage as well, dedicating countless hours of expert genealogical research and careful documentation. She also loved making home movies and taking keepsake family photos, often sharing copies of them with the rest of us. Her thoughtfulness expressed toward others knew no bounds.
She was well known for and extremely talented with her cooking, gardening and canning; and she delighted in sharing the fruits of those labors. She enjoyed simple things, and had a way of making them seem really special. She was always friendly, attentive and kind, and treated everyone with the utmost affection and respect.
She was gracious, helpful, generous and wise; and a steady, soothing influence for all who knew her. She was always ready to lend a helping hand, in any way that she could; she was hard-working, good-hearted to the core, and a devout Christian – and she spent her whole life just giving of herself to others. Her innate goodness and love showed in everything she said and did.
We will always remember her for that love, each and every day of our lives – like a bright, glowing light within our hearts. Thank you, Aunt Bobbie, for these wonderful memories -- and we’ll see you in the sweet by-and-by.
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