Alyce M. Jenkins

Alyce Mitchem Jenkins, of Willow Street, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026.

Born in 1935 in Harvard, Illinois, Alyce was the daughter of Queenie Black Mitchem and John Foster Mitchem. She earned her B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1957 and her M.S. from the University of Wisconsin in 1961. A dedicated educator, she taught English and social studies in schools across Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Jersey before mentoring educators at several colleges and universities.

Alyce was a prolific freelance writer who published more than 125 fiction and nonfiction works, including Lost in a Blizzard: The Towner Bus Tragedy. Her writing earned numerous honors, including the 1996 Magazine Merit Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She also contributed to Guideposts for Kids, Guideposts for Teens, and The Young Salvationist.

Passionate about service and advocacy, Alyce founded and led Rainbow Writers at Bridgewater United Methodist Church, helping formerly incarcerated women share their stories and rebuild their lives. She was deeply committed to adoption advocacy, educating adoptive parents, speaking at regional and national conferences, and founding Connected Hearts Adoption Triad Support in North Plainfield, New Jersey. In recognition of her dedication, she received the 2005 Angels in Adoption Award, presented through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

She also volunteered with local libraries, scouting organizations, and community peace and social justice initiatives. Locally, she served on the Patient Advisory Board of the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute and on the Peace and Social Justice Committee of Lancaster Community Mennonite Church.

Alyce leaves behind her beloved husband, Reese Jenkins; her daughter, Elizabeth Manfredi; her son, David Jenkins, and his wife, Barbra; and her grandchildren, Skyler Lyne, Sierra Manfredi, Jonathan Jenkins, and Allison Jenkins. She will also be remembered fondly by extended family members and many dear friends.

Alyce's legacy is defined by her lifelong dedication to education, her remarkable literary contributions, her compassion for others, and, most cherished of all, her role as a wife, mother, and Nana.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Spring Run at Willow Valley, in Willow Street, PA.