Paul was born 9 Dec 1878 in Topeka, Kansas. His parents apparently met and married there. Paul and his family, at least his mother and two sisters, moved to Denver, Colorado by about 1892. His mother remarried in 1898 about the time that Paul signed up for the army to fight in the Spanish-American War. He served on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines as a corporal with the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment, Company L. This is where he was in 1900 when the census was taken. He gave his mother’s address of 736 So. Tremont as his home address in Colorado. This was her address with her 2nd husband, Charles Frye, in 1900. He returned to the United States by 1903. He probably went into railroading because his step-father, Charles Frye was an engineer on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. He was a flagman and a brakeman for that same railroad. He met and was married to Eva Lucretia Bradley on 12 October 1903 in Denver by Rev. David Utter, Pastor of the Unity Church. Witnesses to the wedding were Almira Bradley and Isabella Frye, mothers of the couple. They were married under license number 32295.
In 1903 Paul was living at 1437 Champa and listed as a brakeman for the D&RGRR. In 1904 they were living at 1317 Evans in Denver. Paul and Eva had one daughter, Pauline Evelyne on 6 July 1905 in Denver, Colorado. They were living at 323 South 15th St. at the time of her birth.
Then his story gets strange. Eva told Pauline that her father had died. Only he didn’t. Eva and Paul probably divorced in California. He lists Eva as his wife living in Los Angeles in the WWI Draft Registration. He is living in San Francisco. In 1930 there is a Paul Jenkins living in Los Angeles at 444 East 103rd St. He had a daughter obviously from another marriage named Mary Isabella (same name as his mother) who was 8 years old, born in California. He is a widower. I had to connect Paul from San Francisco and Paul in Los Angeles. There in the column on military service it had the 1930 Paul Jenkins as having served in the Spanish-American War. It had to be the right one. This Paul Jenkins died 4 January 1957 in Los Angeles. His second wife was named Lillian (presume Anderson from Mary Isabella’s birth record).
In 2009 while visiting Frank Ratay for his 80th birthday we located Paul’s grave and took the photo of it.
©2013 Original narrative by Nancy Ratay

Spanish-American War: Company L, 4th US Regiment, Philippines; corporal

1900 Military and Naval Records, Novaleta, Cavite Province, Island of Luzon, Philippines, E.D. 164, sheet 14A, Company L, Regiment 4th, Infantry, stamped page 226, Film T623-1839
Paul A. Jenkins, corporal, Denver, Colorado, 736 S. Tremont St. white, male, Dec 1878, age 22, single, born Kansas, father Kansas, mother Indiana

1910 and 1920 not located

1930 California, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, E.D. 569, p. 1A, film T626-154
444 East 103rd St., dwelling 7, family 7
Jenkins, Paul, head, rents $20/mo, no radio, male, white, age 51, widower, born Kansas, father born Pennsylvania, mother born Indiana, salesman at a gas station, yes in military in Spanish-American War
---------, Mary Isabella, daughter, female, white, age 8, single, born California, father born Kansas, mother born Illinois

1940 California, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, E.D. 60-627, sheet 8B
8452 So. Broadway, household 223, rents, $25
Jenkins, Paul Austin, head, male, white, age 60, widower, 5th grade, born Kansas, lived in same house in 1935, owner radio repair
---------, Mary Isabell, daughter, female, white, age 18, single, 4 yrs high school, born California, lived in same house in 1935

1950 with daughter

The Denver Post Wed. 14 Oct. 1903
Two October Weddings of Well-Known Young People
Mrs. Paul A. Jenkins, nee Bradley
The marriage of Miss Eva L. Bradley and Paul A. Jenkins took place at noon Monday.
The bride wore a modish traveling gown of brown broadcloth with a large white hat and carried bride’s roses. Miss Ada Frye, a sister of the bridegroom officiated as honor maid. She was gowned in gray silk and wore a picture hat in harmonizing tones.
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. David Utter at his residence at 1447 Pearl Street. Only immediate relatives were present. The young people were the recipients of numerous gifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins left this afternoon for Colorado Springs where they will spend their honeymoon. They will be at home in Denver at 1369 Evans street after Oct. 18. The bride is the only daughter of J.J. Bradley, formerly state representative.