History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918)

            R. M. Jenks

ROMEYN M. JENKS, cashier of the Loyal State Bank, who has been actively connected with financial interests in Clark County for a number of years, was born on a farm in Aztalan Township, Jefferson County, Wis., June 4, 1877, son of George and Mariah (Millard) Jenks. His early education was acquired in the district school and was supplemented by a full course at the Lake Mills high school, from which he was graduated in the class of 1896. After teaching school for a year and a half in his home county, he became interested for a short period in creamery work.

In 1898 he came to Loyal, Clark County, and purchased the Loyal Separator Association Creamery plant, which he conducted, himself, for one year, and later was in partnership for two years with his brothers, John K. and Arthur H. In 1901 the business was sold to the Dodge Creamery Co., and still later it was purchased by George Jenks and his son, Arthur H., who took control of it. In the following summer, 1901, Romeyn M. Jenks entered the Lawrence Bros. private bank at Loyal. The next year he went to Montana, looking up mining interests and while there became interested in lumbering on the Pacific Coast, being for awhile connected with the St. Paul Tacoma Lumber Company. After this he went to Cour d'Alene, Idaho, where he intended to associate himself with the Big-4 Lumber Company. While there, in 1903, he received an offer to become assistant cashier of the Loyal State Bank then being organized. Accepting the position, he at once returned to Loyal and took up his new duties. At the annual meeting in 1905 he was tended the Position of cashier, which he accepted and has since retained, having performed its duties ably and conscientiously in every detail, and demonstrated his sound and thorough knowledge of financial affairs.

Aside from his excellent record in connection with the bank, Mr. Jenks has taken a lively and beneficial interest in all movements for the moral or material betterment of the town and county, his action in such matters having been at times in the capacity of a public official. He has served on the village board two terms and on the county board one year, and has also been supervisor of the village Loyal and a member of the board of education, serving thirteen years out of the twenty that he has resided here. It was during his service on the latter board that the school building was remodeled and improved, and while he was a member of the village board the electric light plant and water system was installed. He was a member of the Good Templar Lodge, at Lake Mills, Wis., for six years and at Loyal, Wis., for three years.

He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Greenwood, also belonging to the Woodmen, Maccabees and Beavers. All in all he, is one of the busy and useful citizens of Loyal, where he is highly respected.

Mr. Jenks was united in marriage, May 4, 1904, to Elva Graves, daughter of A. A. and Isabelle Graves, of Loyal. Mr. and Mrs. Jenks are the happy parents of five children: Isabel, Millard, Rachel, Alice and Gertrude.