ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or the other 364 days out of the year, you could say there’s burning love in the Holly Hills neighborhood.
From kindergarten to high school, college, then kids and now grandkids, St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson and his wife Michelle were destined to be together.
“Kind of faded in and out in middle grade school but back in high school, that’s kind of where we started a forced relationship. She asked me out first,” the chief said.
They have pictures to prove it from the Bishop DuBourg school dance. Call it the first date.
“I asked him out to the Sadie Hawkins dance, which he probably thinks I should’ve said no,” Michelle said.
The duo dated through high school. Michelle stayed in the metro for nursing school, but Dennis attended Southern Missouri University in Joplin. They stayed in contact by writing letters, which they still have today.
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“I wrote tons of letters,” Michelle said. “I got to burn them before I die.”