Amy Michelle Jenkins was born on September 19, 1969, to  Jim  and Carol Schneider Jenkins. She was their youngest child, with two older brothers, Chris and David, and an older sister, Debi. Though born and raised in her younger years in Belton, around age seven her family moved to the Northland to open their kennel, which they operated for many years. She attended school in the Platte County district and graduated from Platte County high school in 1987.

Amy went by Missy until after high school, which is why you will often hear her family and childhood friends call her that. During high school on one fateful night at the skating rink in Riverside, Missouri during the couples/backward skate, Missy asked a tall, handsome fella to skate and the rest is history. (Leonard will tell you Missy just took pity on him because he clearly couldn’t backwards-skate, so he turned around and she did the skating backwards.) And after that night, Missy and Leonard started dating through the rest of her high school years and until he graduated from college in May of 1990. The couple got married on August 11, 1990, and made their home in the Northland ever since.

Through the years, Amy held a wide variety of jobs, including working at Montgomery Wards, Norm’s at Metro North, Earring Tree, Motherhood, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, in home day care, Michaels, a law firm, and Mattel. She also had a side gig helping to tag and sell items through the JBF (Just Between Friends) sales. Of course, her all-time favorite job was that of wife and mother.

In July of 1994, Amy became a mother for the first time when she and Leonard welcomed their son Zach into the world. Quite certain after Zach turned 10, that he would be an only child, they were both more than surprised to find out she was expecting just shortly after Leonard’s 40^th birthday. In June of 2007, they welcomed their second son Garrick into the world. Each son provided Amy with their own joy. She loved to watch them in whatever they would do, from music to sports. She was most certainly an extremely proud mom. (And don’t even think about harassing her boys—she was the mother of all mama bears!)

Amy and her boys have always been an active part of North Heartland. From Leonard on the sound board to Zach on the drums, Garrick greeting everyone, and Amy always working on planning another event. Through the years, Amy served on women’s ministry and most recently the event planning team. She was always quick to come up with creative themes, games, prizes, and décor for events such as Galentine’s Day, the “I Still Do” couples event, Ladies “Make, Bake and Buy,” Bunco nights, and women’s retreats. Her creativity and sassy spunk will be sorely missed!

As seen on her Facebook wall, through her photos and visits to her home (especially in the last year), Amy was well connected and had many friends. From neighbors, to co-workers, to fellow sport and music moms, to KC mommies, to JBF, to church and of course her small group, Girlfriends on a Journey. Amy was loved by many and she loved many.

She loved spending time with her people, especially her family. She loved to have fun, play games, plan trips, and then create scrapbooks of all the memories she was making with those she loved. She will be deeply missed and not forgotten.