Thorvald "Mike" Jessen, 1909-1999

JESSEN

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/9/2009 at 14:50:46

Services for Thorvald "Mike" Jessen, 90, of Dolliver will be held Friday, October 1, 1999 at Henry Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Chapel in Armstrong with Pastor Jack Petersen officiating. Burial will be in Lincoln Township Cemetery in Dolliver. Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home of Armstrong are in charge of the arrangements.

He died Sunday, September 26, 1999 at the Dickinson County Memorial Hospital in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Mike was born March 21, 1909 in Gruver, Iowa to Ingvard and Kristianna (Smidt) Jessen. He received his education in the Maple Hill and Dolliver schools, graduating from Dolliver High School in 1927. On June 21, 1933, he was united in marriage to Alice Skow at Graettinger, Iowa. Mike raised and worked with draft horses his entire life. He was proud of the check cornfield he planted in the spring of 1999 with his team. He and Alice enjoyed the plowing contests and fairs held in Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Mike judged plowing with horses in these states for a total of thirty contests. Mike was proud of his Danish heritage and made three trips to Denmark, most recently in August of 1999.

Survivors include: his wife, Alice Jessen of Valley View Care Center in Armstrong; one son James Jessen and wife Barbara of Lake Preston, SD; one daughter, Marlys Pelz of LeMars, IA; daughter-in-law Jean Jessen of Armstrong; nine grandchildren; six great grandchildren; three nephews; one niece; and several cousins.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, son Robert in 1977, and sister Irene Olson, in 1989.

Contributed by: James Richmond Source: Armstrong, Iowa, Armstrong Journal, page 9, column 4, Volume 106, Number 39, 29 September 1999.