Thorvald "Mike" Jessen 1909-1999

JESSEN, SKOW, SMIDT, PELZ, OLSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 4/20/2014 at 17:46:00

Thorvald Jessen
Dolliver – Funeral services for Thorvald “Mike” Jessen, 90, of Dolliver will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, 1999, at the Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Chapel in Armstrong with Pastor Jack Peterson officiating. Interment will be at Lincoln Township Cemetery, Dolliver. He died Sept. 26, 1999, at Dickinson County Memorial Hospital, Spirit Lake.

Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home, Armstrong.

He was born on March 21, 1909, in Gruver, the son of 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.

Mike’s family, his farm and his draft horses were his pride and joy.

He enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren play basketball and then replay the games over the breakfast table the following morning.

He raised and worked with draft horses his entire life. He and Alice enjoyed the plowing contests and fairs held in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. He judged plowing with horses in these states for a total of 30 contests.

He was proud of his Danish heritage and made three trips to Denmark, most recently in August of 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Alice; son, James Jessen and wife Barbara of Lake Preston, S.D.; daughter, Marlys Pelz of LeMars; daughter-in-law Jean Jessen of Armstrong; nine grandchildren; six great grandchildren; three nephews, one nieces and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, son Robert in 1977 and sister, Irene Olson in 1989. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, September 29, 1999)