Hilda Telitha Allen Jenner, age 88, of Oak Ridge, passed away Feb. 4, 2014, peacefully in her sleep at her home.

She was born in a coal mining camp called Cotula in Campbell County on Sept. 19, 1925, to parents Lucy Retha Dossett Allen and William McKinley Allen. Known as Telitha to her family and Hilda to her friends, she graduated high school as the salutatorian of her class in Jacksboro before attending business school in Knoxville.

She came to Oak Ridge in the early 1940s and worked as a secretary during the Manhattan Project while living in Beacon Hall, one of the dormitories set up for women. It was while working in Oak Ridge that she met her husband of 63 years, Clyde V. Jenner, who preceded her in death. Hilda and Clyde enjoyed square dancing in the early years in Oak Ridge and were members of the ’43 Club later in life.

She was active with her daughters in both Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls when they were young. Hilda was a past president and officer of the Oak Ridge Women’s Club, where she remained an active member and committee chair. She was also an avid bridge player and could typically be found playing bridge at the Oak Ridge Senior Center on a weekly basis. [Read more…]