John
John Jensen
d. April 19, 2014
John Roger Jensen, 77, Mandan, died of a massive heart attack on April 19, 2014 at Banner Gateway Hospital is Mesa, Arizona.
A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, May 6 at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery with full military honors. Cremation has taken place and the family will greet friends from 9 am to the time of service on Tuesday.
John was born May 28, 1936 in Mandan to Arnold P. and Marian (Baenen) Jensen. Raised and educated in Mandan, John played basketball and graduated from Mandan High School in 1954. Several months later he joined the US Navy and was aboard the USS Kearsarge, being discharged in 1957.
On May 18th, 1963 he was united in marriage to Marilyn Sanford in Watford City and they had three children, Julie, John David, and Joanne. His family was always the most important thing in his life, along with lending a helping hand to whoever needed one. John enjoyed volleyball, exercising, and nature, particularly bird watching.
John worked as the Maintenance Supervisor at Roosevelt Elementary in Mandan for many years, retiring in 2000. He started brushing up on his golf skills in preparation of Marilyn retiring in 2001. That fall, they set out for Mesa, Arizona in pursuit of the snowbird lifestyle. John and Marilyn enjoyed their life with their friends and family in the Sun Life RV Resort in Mesa, with John volunteering many hours to the pancake crew and library. John’s passion for the last twelve years of his life was golfing and he achieved the goal of a hole-in-one twice in the 2012-2013 golfing season on “his hole” #14. John and Marilyn also enjoyed going to casinos and visiting their many friends and family members.
John’s God was very important to him. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and was involved in many areas of outreach when Christ Church of Mandan was active.
John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marilyn Jensen; daughter, Julie and son, John (Karen) Jensen of Mandan, and daughter, Joanne of North Bend, Washington; brothers-in-law David (Donna Lou) Sanford of Watford City and Mesa, AZ, Jim (Susan) Sanford of Eloy, AZ, and Rick (Kim) Sanford of Williston, ND; grandchildren, Heather (Ryan) Dewald of Mandan and James Loyd of Oakfield, GA; two great-grandchildren, Anna and David of Mandan; several nieces and nephews; His best buddy and friend from grade school, Ray Kary of Pinetop, AZ; and Breanna and Michael of Bismarck and Mandan who always had a special place in his heart.
John was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother, James; brother, Pete Jensen and sister-in-law Mary Lu Jensen; sister and brother-in-law, Marian and Donald Hertz; and his father and mother-in-law, Norman and Marion Sanford.
In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Legion Baseball Fund or St. George Episcopal Church.
A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, May 6 at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery with full military honors. Cremation has taken place and the family will greet friends from 9 am to the time of service on Tuesday.
John was born May 28, 1936 in Mandan to Arnold P. and Marian (Baenen) Jensen. Raised and educated in Mandan, John played basketball and graduated from Mandan High School in 1954. Several months later he joined the US Navy and was aboard the USS Kearsarge, being discharged in 1957.
On May 18th, 1963 he was united in marriage to Marilyn Sanford in Watford City and they had three children, Julie, John David, and Joanne. His family was always the most important thing in his life, along with lending a helping hand to whoever needed one. John enjoyed volleyball, exercising, and nature, particularly bird watching.
John worked as the Maintenance Supervisor at Roosevelt Elementary in Mandan for many years, retiring in 2000. He started brushing up on his golf skills in preparation of Marilyn retiring in 2001. That fall, they set out for Mesa, Arizona in pursuit of the snowbird lifestyle. John and Marilyn enjoyed their life with their friends and family in the Sun Life RV Resort in Mesa, with John volunteering many hours to the pancake crew and library. John’s passion for the last twelve years of his life was golfing and he achieved the goal of a hole-in-one twice in the 2012-2013 golfing season on “his hole” #14. John and Marilyn also enjoyed going to casinos and visiting their many friends and family members.
John’s God was very important to him. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and was involved in many areas of outreach when Christ Church of Mandan was active.
John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marilyn Jensen; daughter, Julie and son, John (Karen) Jensen of Mandan, and daughter, Joanne of North Bend, Washington; brothers-in-law David (Donna Lou) Sanford of Watford City and Mesa, AZ, Jim (Susan) Sanford of Eloy, AZ, and Rick (Kim) Sanford of Williston, ND; grandchildren, Heather (Ryan) Dewald of Mandan and James Loyd of Oakfield, GA; two great-grandchildren, Anna and David of Mandan; several nieces and nephews; His best buddy and friend from grade school, Ray Kary of Pinetop, AZ; and Breanna and Michael of Bismarck and Mandan who always had a special place in his heart.
John was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother, James; brother, Pete Jensen and sister-in-law Mary Lu Jensen; sister and brother-in-law, Marian and Donald Hertz; and his father and mother-in-law, Norman and Marion Sanford.
In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Legion Baseball Fund or St. George Episcopal Church.
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