+In Memoriam+

Frances Arlene Jensen
April 16, 1922 – January 1, 2018
 
Frances Arlene was born on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1922, in Westbrook, Maine to Danish immigrant parents, Edward (Ingvart), 36, and Anna, 32. She attended elementary, middle and high school in Westbrook where she excelled in her studies and in sports.  She loved archery, horseback riding, softball and trips to the Maine coastline for clambakes.  Arlene spent one year at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, studying business administration and then returned to Westbrook to work in a bank.

She met her husband Ronald Martin Jensen in Westbrook during World War II when he came to the East Coast to work in the Portland shipyard building liberty ships.  They married on September 14, 1946. In 1948, they moved to Reserve, Montana with their daughter, Anne, where Ron was Lutheran Pastor. Their second daughter, Lois, was born and in 6 months they moved to Calendar, Iowa. Their third daughter, Kathleen, was born in Fort Dodge, IA. They made one more pastoral move to Eau Claire, WI where Arlene continued to be a dedicated mother and pastor’s spouse. Arlene spent 14 years supporting her daughters’ activities as well as contributing her talents to the congregations Ron was serving.  

Arlene returned to working outside of the home in 1962. Throughout her working career in various Midwest towns and cities, she was an adept office manager -- working the longest for the Detroit Stoker company and for Corporate Marketing in Chicago. Her grandchildren all had the opportunity at various times to visit her at her workplaces. She was an avid baker and all around excellent cook, and loved entertaining her Jensen and Rasmussen relatives. Arlene was a fabulous grandmother and enjoyed reading stories to her 5 grandchildren, pitching balls to them in the backyard, playing croquet, badminton, and horseshoes. She also loved playing cards and reading. Arlene played the piano and loved music and singing. She really enjoyed family sing-alongs with the Jensens and Rasmussens and attended a Messiah sing-along with Anne and Kathy in December before she died. She was very proud of all of her grandchildren.
Arlene retired when she was 87 years old, and in 2011 she and Ronald moved to Madison, WI to be close to their daughter, Lois, and her family. Ronald died on September 9, 2013. In December 2015, Arlene moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lived with her daughter and husband, Kathy and Randy Gee, and became a part of the Chapel community, and the Gee extended family.

She is survived by Anne Jensen and her husband Henry Robinson of Palo Alto, CA, and their son Nicolas Robinson of Portland, OR; Lois and John Jacobsen and their sons Nathan and Daniel of Madison, WI; and, Kathy and Randy Gee and their daughter Emily, of Berkeley, CA, and their daughter Robyn and her husband Nathan Ilten-Gee of Vancouver, BC.

​Donations in Arlene’s memory can be made to one of the following charities:

• World Vision Foundation
• University Lutheran Chapel Endowment Fund

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