Faith, Family, and Tea: Honoring Mattie Ann Jenkins with Gilchrist by Her Side

At Gilchrist, we are honored to walk alongside families during life’s most sacred moments. For the family of Mattie Ann Jenkins, that journey was one of grace, love, and deeply personal remembrance.

Mrs. Jenkins was born in Cumberland, Virginia, in 1938, and later moved to Baltimore, where she met and married Charlie Jenkins, her husband of 63 years. Together, they raised four daughters and built a life grounded in faith, family, and service.

“To those who knew her, my mother was the life of the party—full of warmth, conversation, and love,” says her daughter, Sharon Hodges. Mrs. Jenkins was a caregiver by nature, raising her four daughters with devotion before becoming a certified home health aide, caring for seniors and homebound individuals in the Philadelphia area. She later cared for her own mother, embodying compassion in every chapter of her life.

A Lifelong Battle, Fought with Grace

Mrs. Jenkins’s journey with breast cancer spans more than three decades. Diagnosed in the 1980s, she experienced three separate battles with the disease, each time undergoing treatment and entering remission. “She fought fiercely each time,” Sharon shares. “Even in her final years, she faced it with quiet determination.”

Her final recurrence came in 2020, as the cancer spread. At age 86, further aggressive treatments were no longer an option. But throughout her illness, Mrs. Jenkins remained mentally sharp and spiritually grounded, surrounded by a family whose love never faltered.

The Gilchrist Difference: Care for the Whole Family

In her final weeks, Mrs. Jenkins received home-based hospice care through Gilchrist. Though her time on service was brief—just over three weeks—the impact was profound.

“Our nurse, Elaine, didn’t just care for my mother—she cared for all of us,” says Sharon. “She prepared us gently for what was coming, never in a way that overwhelmed us, but with grace and compassion.”

Mrs. Jenkins’s hospice team included a doctor, nurse, home care aide, social worker, music therapist, and chaplain. Each visit brought not only clinical support, but emotional care that enveloped the entire household.

“The music therapy was especially meaningful,” Sharon recalls. “The house would quiet down. The therapist selected songs based on how my mother was breathing. It created a moment of peace and unity. We all stopped, gathered, and sang together.”

When symptoms became difficult to manage, the Gilchrist team was just a phone call away. “That first night, we were overwhelmed and unsure,” Sharon recalls. “But they never made us feel like we were failing. They reassured us, sent someone out, and reminded us that we were doing the right thing.”

A Celebration True to Her Spirit

In keeping with Mrs. Jenkins’s wishes for a nontraditional funeral, the Jenkins family created a tribute that reflected who she truly was—a private, thoughtful, and creative woman who loved simple joys. They called the service “Simply Ann,” the name most friends and family used for her.

Held at her church, the celebration featured five themed stations highlighting what mattered most to Mrs. Jenkins:

• Simply Faith and Family – Photo albums and personal mementos honoring the relationships that defined her life.
• Simply Notes – A station where guests could read or write cards, with her actual desk from home set up just as it had been.
• Simply Conversations – A telephone-themed station where guests left video reflections and messages for the family.
• Simply Plants – A tribute to her love of gardening, with seed packets for guests to take home.
• Simply Tea – A tea garden in the fellowship hall with cups, saucers, and her favorite treats, honoring the tea parties she loved to host at home.

“She didn’t want a long service with people coming up to speak,” Sharon explains. “She wanted it to feel like a walk-through of her life—peaceful, interactive, and deeply personal.”

Finding Comfort in Remembrance

As part of their healing journey, the Jenkins family recently took part in Gilchrist’s Memory Box Workshop—a reflective space designed to help families process grief through creativity and connection. “It was such a peaceful, uplifting experience,” Sharon shares. “There were no expectations—just the freedom to feel, reflect, and remember. It gave us time we wouldn’t have made for ourselves otherwise.”

On June 1st, the Jenkins family attended Steps of Hope, Gilchrist’s annual remembrance event that honors loved ones who have passed. “It’s another way we can celebrate her life and continue walking this path as a family,” Sharon says. “We know she’d be proud.”

The family also received two handcrafted memory bears and a pillow from Gilchrist, lovingly sewn from pieces of Mrs. Jenkins’s clothing. “One of the bears is at my house, another with my father, and the pillow with my sister,” Sharon says. “We were so touched when we realized they were delivered on the exact four-month anniversary of her passing. It felt like a blessing—a quiet reminder that she’s still with us.”

Care for the Whole Family

As Sharon reflects on the experience, she emphasizes the support Gilchrist offered every step of the way. “I’m so glad Gilchrist was with us on this journey,” she says. “They made sure my mother was comfortable, but they also took care of all of us. It was a total care package—clinical, emotional, and spiritual. We never felt alone.”

At Gilchrist, we are honored to serve families like the Jenkinses and to help ensure that every goodbye is met with dignity, compassion, and care as unique as the life it celebrates.

To learn more about Gilchrist, visit: https://gilchristcares.org/