September 30, 1930 ~ June 18, 2018
God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diploma, but for scars.
J.R. traveled the Road to Heaven, where he was met by Heavenly Angels, who led him to be reunited with his parents and baby sister.
The only son of Joseph and Annita Wiedmann Jenista, he was born September 30, 1930 at the old St. Lukes Hospital in Wellington, Kansas.
J. R. attended grade school at rural Scott School, Dist. 110 and graduated from Caldwell High School in 1948.
After high school he farmed with his father on the family farm at Doster, Kansas, until being drafted into the Army September, 1953. He took basic training at Ft. Riley, Kansas and Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. He finished his duty with the Army Engineers at Fort Benning, Georgia.
J. R. was an assistant to an instructor, teaching military officers of foreign countries, the way of making land mines. Years later, J. R. always believed some of those officers were from countries we later had conflicts with. J. R. was honorably discharged September 1955 and resumed farming.
In 1984 the farm was rented out so he and his dad could devote full time to caring for Annita, until her death at home January 9, 1987.
In the spring of 1987 J. R. was Baptized on Easter Sunday and soon became a member of the Caldwell Presbyterian Church and an Elder.
On August 1990 the beloved family farm was sold and Joe and J.R. bought a home in Caldwell. After several years of illness Joe passed on at age 95 in the Caldwell Hospital.
In 2003 J.R. sold the house and moved to Friendship Village in Caldwell.
J. R. continued the 50 plus years of collecting antiques, started by his mother who was so deeply interested in early Americana. J.R. was preceded in death by his stillborn baby sister on September 27, 1927; paternal grandparents, Joseph R. (J.R.) and Lydia Kubik Jenista; maternal grandparents, John and Nettie Sheridan Wiedmann; his mother Annita Wiedmann Jenista on January 9, 1987 and his father on October 2, 1995.
Surviving are several Nulik cousins.
A graveside service will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, June 21, 2018 at the Czechoslovakian Cemetery, Caldwell, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in memory of J.R. to the Czechoslovakian Cemetery or to the Presbyterian Church and left in care of the mortuary.
