Myrtle Alice Jennings

Myrtle Alice Jennings, 93, of Topeka, passed away August 24, 2011, at Midland Care. She was born Myrtle Alice Patrick in Leroy, Kansas, January 13, 1918. After graduating from Leroy High School, she taught in a one-room country schoolhouse for three years before marrying Harlan Jennings of Lebo, Kansas, in 1941. As a naval wife during the Second World War, Mrs. Jennings lived for brief periods of time in U.S. cities on both coasts. After the war, she and her husband returned to Kansas, eventually settling in Topeka in 1947. In 1966, Mrs. Jennings joined the staff at the Topeka Public Library, working first in the circulation department. By 1975 she had risen to assistant department head and was managing McNaughton Books, a program allowing the library to rent and make available to the public popular books during their period of greatest demand. Under her supervision, which covered the next eighteen years, the library's McNaughton Collection rose from 500 to over 11,000 volumes. In 1984, she became Acquisitions Manager, responsible for the library book budget and for all purchasing and record keeping involving circulating material. Under her management, the book budget grew from $340,000 to $1,000,000 over the next seven years. During her tenure at the library, she held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer of the Library Staff Association; she also served as chair of the Materials Selection Policy Committee. Mrs. Jennings retired from the library, February 1, 1993, after twenty-seven years of service.
Myrtle Alice Jennings was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Harlan Jennings. She is survived by her three children and their spouses -- Harlan Jennings, Jr. and Anne Nispel of East Lansing, Michigan; Karen Jennings Brown and Bill Brown of Newton, Kansas; and Dean Jennings of Topeka -- and one grandchild, Jennifer Brown of New Canaan, Connecticut. There will be a memorial service at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 28, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka, 4775 SW 21st Street. A private family inurnment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be directed to a newly created endowment, honoring Mrs. Jennings's contribution to the library and her belief that books and other educational materials should be available to everyone: the Myrtle Alice Jennings Acquisition Fund at The Library Foundation, the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66604-1374. Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.