John Robert "Puncho" Jennings, Jr. Obituary (1950

John Robert Jennings, Jr entered his eternal rest March 2, 2020, after a lengthy battle with cancer. John, affectionately known as "Puncho" was born August 30, 1950, to John Robert Jennings, Sr. and Annie Lee Wright Jennings in Lunenburg County, VA where he came of age and attended local schools. The fifth of seven children, John enlisted in the United States Army on August 5, 1968, after high school. He was severely wounded in combat operations while serving in Vietnam. After recovering from his injuries, the Army transferred him to the United States Army Reserve from which he received an honorable discharge on September 16, 1975. During John's military service, he earned the National Defense Service Medal, Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, Combat Infantryman Badge, (1st Award), Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle M-14), Expert Badge (Rifle M-16), Marksman Badge (Rifle M-60), Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star, and Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 device. To support his growing family, John worked at Diemolding Manufacturing (where he also played on the company basketball team) and The Diamond Company formerly known as Commonwealth Tobacco. Puncho's military combat injuries and Agent Orange exposure continued to affect his health, forcing him to retire in 1998. Retirement gave him more time to enjoy his love of the outdoors, fishing, and continuing his family legacy of farming. He cultivated various crops and tended livestock, which included chickens, cows, and his personal specialty, hogs. The community at large shared in his harvests, artesian wines from his grapes and fruit trees, and "pig pickings." Puncho was renowned and lauded for his signature ground breakfast sausage. Puncho was best known as a guitarist in the local church and gospel circuit. He belonged to several local gospel groups, with his longest stints as a member of The Voices of Harmony and The JB Gospel Singers. He provided his talents freelancing bass and lead guitar accompaniment to numerous musical acts, churches, and choirs throughout the region. His last musical partnership was with the Mount Moriah Baptist Church of Victoria, VA, where he accompanied the choir until his illnesses prevented him from continuing. To cherish his memory, John leaves behind his loving and devoted wife, Frances "Annette" Jennings, as well as six daughters, Michelle Jennings, Neala Clayton (Michael), Lisa Moore, TyRhonda Talbert (Christopher) LaTonya Walker (Jason), Tiffany Jennings (Ronnell); and seven grandchildren, Cierra Clayton, Michael Clayton, Jr., Sean Jennings, Octavian Moore Firanda, Tawanna Jennings, Christopher Talbert, Jr. and Victoria Walker. He is also survived by three sisters, Maggie Smithson, Pearly Edwards, and Gloria Pinckney, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings Virgie Weldon, Edmonia "Ethel" Thompson, and James Jennings. John walked with faith, fought the good fight, and encouraged all to live worthy of Heaven's Home so if God willing, He will reunite with all of us on that Resurrection morning. Funeral Service: Saturday, March 14, 2020 @ 11:00 A.M. at Zion Hill Baptist Church, 1197 Burkeville Road, Victoria, Virginia 23974; Reverend Trava Hawkins, Pastor Interment: Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery