Jensen, Leo Christian (1920-2001)

JENSEN, SAND, HORTON, NELSON, JONES

Posted By: Jennifer J. Jensen (email)
Date: 4/9/2006 at 12:12:39

Leo Christian Jensen, son of Simon L. and Anna C. Thygesen Jensen, was born at his parents' home in Douglas Township, Audubon County, Iowa, on December 10, 1920. He was baptized at Ebenezer Lutheran Church on February 12, 1921. He was confirmed at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Audubon on April 19, 1936.

Leo began his education in Douglas Center rural school. The Jensen family moved to Audubon in 1927. He continued his education in the Audubon Public Schools. During his high school years, he was active in sports, including football. He graduated from Audubon High School in 1940 with his siblings, Wayne and Mary.

On September 28, 1940, Leo enlisted in the United States Coast Guard as an apprentice seaman. During his five year tour of duty, he served at the following West Coast installations: Port Townsend Training Station, Fort Point Lifeboat Station, San Francisco Coast Guard Station, Coast Guard Station San Luis Obispo and Coast Guard Group Morro Bay. He was honorably discharged on October 6, 1945, having attained the rank of Boatswain's Mate Second Class. Following his discharge, he returned to Audubon to farm his family's farm.

Leo was united in marriage to Audrey B. Jones at Ebenezer Luthern Church on August 25, 1957. Four children were born to this union. They farmed his family farm west of Audubon which they operated until Leo retired from farming in 1968. They moved to Audrey's family farm east of Audubon. From 1968 until his retirement in 1981, he pursued a career as a carpenter.

During his retirement years, Leo enjoyed a wide variety of activities and pastimes in which he involved his children, including a love of the outdooors, gardening, caring for farm pets, carpentry, working on his antique John Deere Model A tractors, and cutting fire wood. For many years, he took annual family fishing trips to northern Minnesota. He also made several trips to visit family in Eastern Oregon and South Dakota.

Leo had a life-long of appreciation for roller skating, history, reading, writing in his daily journal, polka and waltz music and sports. He loved watching and listening to sports, including University of Iowa football and basketball, Iowa High School Girls Basketball and professional football. He always looked forward to visits from his grandchildren. Leo was a member of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Audubon. On many occasions, he served as the church taxi driver for elderly church goers.

After a five year struggle with anemia which turned to leukemia, Leo departed from this life on Wednesday, February 21, 2001, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa, at the age of 80 years, 2 months and 11 days.

Preceding him in death were his parents, his brothers: Wayne E. Jensen in 1945 and Willis O. Jensen in 1988; and a brother-in-law, Donald Rutherford in 1989.

Survivors include his wife, Audrey Jensen of Audubon; his children and their families, Jennifer Jensen of Omaha, NE; Wayne Jensen of Raytown, MO; Karen and Roger Nelsone, Joshua and Kirsten of Oakland, IA; Karla and Mark Jensen, Micah, Isaac, and Kamilla Jensen of Dell Rapids, SD; his sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Harold Sand of Audubon; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Betty Horton of LeMars, IA; Floyd Jones of Audubon; Bernice and Duane Barratt of Irwin, IA; Boyd and Ina Jones of Pendleton, OR and Fauntella Rutherford of Elgin, OR.

Honorary casket bearers will be: Duane Barratt, Jesse Carrithers, Reuben Hansen, Bob Jensen, Boyd Jones, Floyd Jones, Charles Knudsen, Dale Madsen, William P. Roth, and Harold Sand.

Casket bearers will be Roger Nelson, James Borkowski, Ralph Dent, Douglas Gleason, Robert R. Hansen and Dennis Miller.

Internment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon.