JENSEN, Eugene Richard "Gene"

JENSEN, ANDERSEN, DEVRIES, STADTLANDER, JANEKA, MECHAM, SPRINGER, MUHLENBRUCH, POPP, WISBENGA

Posted By: Sharon R. Becker (email)
Date: 5/2/2014 at 05:53:05

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
October 14, 2012

Obituary - Eugene Richard Jensen
August 06, 1928 ~ October 12, 2012

Thornton - Eugene Richard Jensen, 84, of Thornton, died Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City after a short courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Retz Funeral Home, Thornton, with Mr. Gerald Haugland presiding. There will be no visitation at the service due to cremation per his request. Interment will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery, Thornton.

Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. today, Monday, Oct. 15, at Retz Funeral Home in Thornton.

Memorials may be directed to the Eugene Jensen Memorial Fund.

Eugene Richard Jensen was born Aug. 6, 1928, in Thornton, to Askel and Mabel (Andersen) Jensen. He attended the Thornton Consolidated School and graduated in 1948.

Eugene married Mildred DeVries on Nov. 6, 1949, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They lived their entire life in Thornton, where he was a volunteer fireman for 25 years.

Eugene co-owned Jensen Truck Line and Thornton Hatchery/Produce with his parents and wife. He also was employed by the Meservey -Thornton Community School as custodian and bus driver. Later, he was employed by Woodford Wheeler Lumber Co. until the business closed and retiring in 1992 from Farmers Co-op of Thornton.

After retirement, Gene and Mil became "snowbirds," traveling to Apache Junction, Ariz., for 16 years. While living in Arizona, he fixed bikes and worked at the Food City Grocery Store as their "P.R." person. Visitors who stopped for a visit would get their picture taken for his scrapbook.

Some of Gene's hobbies include buying and repairing bikes, raising tomatoes to sell at farmers markets, traveling to Elma for auctions, and word-find puzzles. He also enjoyed the challenge of putting puzzles together and trying to win playing solitare.

Gene is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mildred; his children, Connie (Larry) Stadtlander, Thornton, Michael (Betty) Jensen, Thornton, Kathy (Tom) Janeka, Thornton, and Laurie Mecham, Clear Lake. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Robert Jensen, Sheffield, Kelly Jensen, Las Vegas, Nev., Jamie (Amanda) Janeka, Northwood, and Amber Janeka, Raleigh, N.C. In-laws include Rose Springer, Alvina (Wayne) Muhlenbruch, Dick (Dina) DeVries, John (Marladean) Devries and Robert (Betty) DeVries. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and friends.

Gene is preceded in death by his son, Donnie; son-in-law, Floyd Mecham; parents; sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Lawrence Popp; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Lena and Jerry DeVries; sisters-in-law, Lucy DeVries, Mary Wiebenga; brothers-in-law, Duane Springer, Don (Shirley) DeVries; and nieces, nephews and friends.

Retz Funeral Home, www.retzfh.com.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2014