Marcella Jenkins Goodman age 92 of West Jefferson passed away on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Forest Ridge Assisted Living Center. She was born in Ashe County on April 3, 1933 to the late, Edward Mitchell and Pearl Beatrice Wyatt Jenkins. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by, her husband, Kenneth "Gene" Goodman, brother, J.C. Jenkins, an infant sister and son in-law, Greg Edwards.

Mrs. Goodman is survived by: one son, James Edward Goodman of Wilkesboro, two daughters, Pamela Goodman Edwards of Wilkesboro and Patricia Goodman Jordan and husband Lucian of West Jefferson, one sister, Melba Jenkins Phillips and husband Dwight of Wilkesboro, one brother, Ed Jenkins, Jr. and wife Betty of Jefferson, sister in-law, Margaret Phillips Jenkins of West Jefferson, three grandchildren, Ethan Jordan and wife Elizabeth, Geoffrey Edwards and wife Olivia, Kaitlyn Jordan Cox and husband Pierce, two great-grandsons, Wade Jordan and Marshall Cox; several nieces and nephews also survive.

Marcella was born on April 3, 1933, and grew up at the corner of Frank Dillard Road and Hwy 16 in Jefferson, North Carolina. She was the fourth of five children. When she was a baby, her family affectionately called her “The Baby.” Her mother wanted to give her a different name, but her first choice had already been used by a nearby family. Ed suggested the name Marcella, which he had heard and liked while serving in France during World War I. Marcella grew up with two lively older brothers who helped shape her strong will. She had a remarkable memory and often told stories from her childhood with her brothers, JC and Ed Jr. The boys were always up to something. Marcella was usually close behind. One favorite story told many times happened one winter day when the brothers climbed to the roof and dropped rifle bullets down the chimney. Marcella was in the living room, acting as both lookout and reporter. Their Grandpa, sitting by the fireplace, wondered why the firewood was popping and crackling so much that day.

Living near the Old Orion School, Marcella remembered her mother bringing warm cookies to the school for special occasions and surprise treats. Today, if you visit the restored school, you can see family names written high on a wall. Marcella remembered that space as the coatroom. Marcella was almost seven when her sister Melba was born. Although she did not want to give up being "the baby of the family," she and Melba stood by each other through life's ups and downs as they grew older. Growing up in what we now call a multi-generational family; Marcella had her maternal grandparents living with them, while aunts, uncles, and cousins were just a short walk away. The cousins often joined in the brothers’ adventures, making for lively household gatherings. Living near Orion Baptist Church, Marcella and her siblings were baptized in the river nearby. As a child, she fondly remembered singing with JC and Ed Jr. For most of her life, she remained a member of Orion Baptist Church.

Marcella was an excellent cook, though it’s a wonder she learned at all. Her Grandma Alice did not allow children in the kitchen. Still determined, Marcella wedged a chair under the doorknob to keep her grandma out and locked the door so she wouldn't be shooed away—maybe she learned that trick from her brothers. That day, she made biscuits for the first time. In her later years, chicken pies topped with homemade biscuits, sweet potato casseroles, and potato salad became favorites at family and church gatherings.

Marcella enjoyed school and was considered a good student. Surprisingly, she ran away from school with a friend in the 2nd grade because they did not want to get the smallpox vaccine. Marcella was a stubborn girl and never received the shot. Throughout her life, she fondly remembered her favorite high school English teacher, Mrs. Gertrude Vought. She enjoyed being outdoors and playing basketball, and she cherished her school trip to Washington, D.C. By all accounts, she had beautiful penmanship and liked math. She kept her own checkbook and calculated the balance to the penny—most times without a calculator—always checking her work to ensure accuracy.

As a teenager, Marcella met the love of her life. Gene was from the Beaver Creek community of Ashe County. She and Gene married young. Their daughters and the favorite son would say it was too young. They were married in the “parlor” of her parents’ home in August 1949. They started life with a headful of dreams, strong love, and faith that could move anything. In fact, “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane” could have been written about Marcella and Gene. As a young couple, Gene served in the Army and was sent to Nagasaki, Japan. Marcella understood the sacrifice of spending time apart. One Christmas, a 12-piece Noritake Rose China place setting arrived in a wooden crate as a surprise. The gift was bought at the base store and shipped halfway around the world for $100. This gift brought her joy throughout her life. Marcella and Gene held a special place in their hearts for Veterans. After Gene returned to the United States, they soon introduced their son, Eddie, to the nest. Eddie became a brother when Pam was born, when he was about six years old. The Goodman family was complete when Patricia arrived six years later.

Childhood experiences, like being banished from the kitchen, shaped her as a mother. She always taught and encouraged her children and grandchildren to cook, bake, can green beans, make grape jelly, or trim tomato plants. She actually preferred being outside, enjoying the rose bushes and watching cows graze. In Marcella’s house, biscuit dough was Ethan’s and Kaitlyn’s first play-dough. Measuring cups taught fractions, and the kitchen island was where she taught Ethan and Kaitlyn to write in cursive. Geoffrey and his wife, Olivia, learned to make grape jelly from harvest to jar in her kitchen. Marcella’s strong desire to teach the nearly forgotten art of canning has lasted for two generations. Brightly canned vegetables, fruits, and pickles lined the basement walls. Pam’s and Patricia’s grumbles met simple logic: “It will be better than a snowball.” Marcella's shelves became what Patricia now calls “Mother’s Winter Garden.”

Making grape jelly or canning anything from the garden was a well-honed skill. Her quality control was unmatched; no shortcuts were allowed, and each step was carefully explained. When the process was done, the family had canned food that shamed Smucker’s, Mt. Olive, and Green Giant. Marcella shared jars of canned goods with family and friends, always including a life lesson. She asked that once the food was eaten, the empty jars be returned. She knew the work from harvest to table. Like the Little Red Hen, Marcella believed everyone could contribute something to earn the reward. Over the years, jars were returned, and visitors went home with jelly, pickled beans, and corn. Marcella would be pleased to know the tradition lives on with a new generation of grape jelly connoisseurs who return jars to Geoffrey and Olivia.

The kitchen was the hub of the family, where she worked faithfully to raise her children and grandchildren. During hay season, she fed hungry farmhands with hearty meals and managed the family business from the kitchen table. Later, Marcella was also appointed bookkeeper for Jenkins' family business ventures, keeping the books the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper.

Much to her daughters' disdain, the ledgers are still stored in the basement. Marcella’s sharp memory and desire to remember family and friends are well documented in notebooks of family genealogy; given a minute, she could connect you to your great-great-grandfather, aunt, or cousin. On any day, a drive around Ashe County showed a life well lived, as she remembered details of family, friends, and co-workers from when she and Gene worked at Sprague Electric.

With pride, she pointed out every building and house her father built throughout the town and the surrounding counties.

Her children and her two sons-in-law were her first great blessings. Marcella considered her grandchildren even greater blessings. She and Gene attended dance recitals, football, and soccer games whenever possible. Saturday and Sunday trips to Tweetsie Railroad and to ride Thomas the Tank Engine became threads in the family history. Those trips were complete when everyone was dusted with powdered sugar from funnel cakes, and little fingers were sticky with it.

Marcella knew little fingers grew too quickly. One by one, her grandchildren became engaged. She was excited for each wedding. She wanted to know every detail and be included in every aspect. Involvement was her privilege and duty as a proud grandmother. Her superpower was asking questions because she wanted to know. She wanted each new branch on the family tree to have handwritten recipes of their favorite dishes. Those recipes, paired with a Kitchen Aid Mixer, were her wedding gifts. Marcella admired Elizabeth, Ethan’s wife, for her baking skills and would eat one, two, three, or even four of her homemade sugar cookies. Marcella loved sweets. Each grandchild can tell unique stories about Grandma eating sweet treats. Pierce, Kaitlyn’s husband, was her dance partner and always made her smile. Marcella's marital advice was simple: “Get on the same side of the rope and pull.” Marcella, like all of God’s children, was human. She may not have always pulled from the same side of the rope, but she and Gene figured it out. They were married for over 72 years when he passed away in 2022.

During the last year of her life, Marcella welcomed the newest members to her family tree. She especially cherished meeting Wade and Marshall, her great-grandsons, and recognized these moments as extra-special blessings.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 2pm at Orion Baptist Church by Rev. Lawrence Goodman and Rev. Steve Allen. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1-2pm prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Orion Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, PO Box 1345, Jefferson, NC 28640.

Marcella entered Heaven on Thursday, March 26. Looking back on a life so fully lived, it is clear that she loved well and was well loved in return. By all reports, she weathered the storms of life and raised a nest of happy, healthy, and resilient sparrows—a legacy that endures.