Karen S. Jensen

Born Karen Suzanne Danielson in 1938, she grew up on the farm and in the rural town of Roland, Iowa. She was the second child and only girl born to Lynn and Irene Danielson. Many of her responsibilities growing up included supervising her younger brothers and keeping up with the cleaning, laundry, ironing and meal-planning chores.

Inspired by her grandmother Cole, Karen became a very competent seamstress. She still delights in sewing, knitting and crocheting for family and friends alike. Karen developed a love for music. She played the piano, sang in choir and chorus, and played the flute in the high school band. She continues her love of music to this day as a loyal fan of WOI radio and adding to her tape and CD collection.

Karen took her school work seriously and graduated from Roland High School at the head of her class in 1956. She enrolled at Luther College that fall and spent two years there as an undergraduate student. It was at Luther that she met Dan Jensen of rural Ames. Karen and Dan were married in August of 1958. After two years of college, Karen began married life as the secretary to the business manager at Luther College. Her husband would finish his senior year of college and the two of them would move to Ellsworth, Iowa, where her husband had accepted a teaching and coaching position in the fall of 1959.

During their first six years in Ellsworth, Karen and Dan had three children: Mark, David and Julie. In 1965, Karen's husband accepted a teaching and coaching position in Ames, Iowa. He would commute to Ames from Ellsworth until 1969. In 1968, Christian, the fourth and last child of Karen and Dan Jensen, was born. In 1969, the family moved to Ames, where Karen and her husband still reside.

As a dedicated homemaker, Karen has inspired many with her well-kept home, her involvement with scouts, nature hikes and other activities of her husband and children. She loves to read and has been a special friend to music, birds, flowers and other forms of beauty, supporting related causes through service, survey and financial contributions. Those who know Karen are keenly aware of her very caring nature.

They witness a person whose devotion to family, friends and nature knows no bounds. To her children and grandchildren, Karen is the solid rock of support, proven time and time again through the ordeals of illness and suffering as well as through the celebration of joy and happiness of many family events. To her husband, Karen is the epitome of what makes life worthwhile. She is a loving, loyal, dedicated, courageous, conscientious and beautiful person. A true heroine!

Submitted by her husband Dan Jensen.

9/15/98