Twenty-seven years ago, in 1991, Hazel Jenkins was a featured cook in this newspaper. It was a time in her life when she had moved, following her husband’s death, from her home of 54 years in Maryus to her new home at Bena. Hazel made the change with vigor and grace and soon was quoted saying, “At the time I wasn’t so sure but now it’s wonderful.” At this time she was still working at Plaza Pharmacy where she had been employed for 27 years.
Last month Hazel celebrated her 100th birthday. She is not cooking as she once did, but not because she doesn’t want to. “She still wants to,” according to her daughter Faye Deal, “but I guess it was about ten years ago she stopped cooking daily.”
Hazel always thought she had the best of two worlds for cooking. She and her husband Harry always had a garden and there was always plenty of seafood. Harry not only tilled their seven acres on the water but was a waterman and a good cook. “...