Louis A. Jensen

JENSEN, SHELDON, WEST

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 11/1/2006 at 12:50:54

LOUIS A. JENSEN

Norway has made valuable contribution to the citizenship of Iowa, for many of the valued and substantial residents of the state have had their nativity or trace their ancestry back to the land of the midnight sun. Among this number is Louis A. Jensen, of Forest City, whose parents, Jens and Mary Jensen, were both natives of Norway. The former came to the United States in 1846 and the latter in 1845 and they were married in Illinois. Later they came to Iowa, casting in their lot among the pioneer settlers of Mitchell county, where Mr. Jensen took up the occupation of farming. In 1871 he removed with his family to Winnebago county, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days.
Louis A. Jensen was born in Mitchell county, Iowa, May 21, 1869, obtained a public school education and later made up his deficiency by a post-graduate course in the high school in Forest City. In 1896 he was elected to the office of clerk of the court and served in that position for eight years. While thus engaged he took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1904. Since 1910 he has filled the office of county attorney for Winnebago county and has made a most excellent record in that position, carefully safeguarding the legal interests of this district. He is well versed in the principles of law and displays the utmost accuracy in the application of legal principles to the points in litigation. Mr. Jensen also has fanning interests, being the owner of a tract of land south of Lake Mills which his father entered from the government upon removing to Winnebago county. Their nearest market at that time was at McGregor and they experienced all the hardships and privations of pioneer life, while as the years went on they contributed to the work of general development, and Mr. Jensen has lived to see remarkable changes in the county and the conditions here existing.

On the 17th of July, 1891, Mr. Jensen was united in marriage to Miss Mary Sheldon, of Webster county, Iowa, a daughter of Ole Sheldon. Their children are: Marcellus, Christine, Lydia, Rachel and Constance. The son, a graduate of the law department of Drake University with the class of 1914, is now practicing with his father, at Forest City, Iowa, under the firm name of Jensen & Jensen. He wedded Mabel West, of State Center. The eldest daughter is a graduate of St. Olaf's College.

Mr. Jensen has always been deeply interested in the cause of education and has provided his children with excellent opportunities in that direction. He is now secretary of the Waldorf College Association, which position he has filled since the college was established, and of the school he was one of the organizers. He has also been a member of the school board of Forest City and does all in his power to advance educational standards. His political allegiance has ever been given to the republican party and his son is also an active worker in its ranks, being now chairman of the county central committee. The religious faith of the family is that of the United Lutheran church, to which Mr. Jensen loyally adheres, guiding his life by its principles. His activities are many and are manifest along those lines which touch the general interests of society and work for public progress and improvement.
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Source: History of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa, 1917, Vol. II, pages 126 & 129.

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