James Dwight Hensel

James Dwight Hensel was born February 4, 1940 to Robert and Mildred Chamberlin Hensel in Boulder City, Nevada. His parents returned to their home state of Nebraska in his early years. During elementary school, he attended Mt. Pleasant Rural School, Mason City, NE and public schools in Kearney, NE. Jim moved with his family to Aberdeen, Washington where he attended high school. They then moved to Fontana, California where he graduated from Fontana Public School in 1958. Jim attended Le Tourneau College in Longview, Texas and graduated in 1962 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Jim married Lela Stephens on April 9, 1963 in Longview, Texas. Lela died in October of 1965. Jim and Betty Lee were married on December 12, 1970 in San Bernardino, California. Jim returned to Kearney, NE in 1962 where he was an engineer for Caldwell Manufacturing. Later, he returned to Texas where he worked for R.G. Le Tourneau Inc. in Longview and Vicksburg, Mississippi. He then returned to Lincoln, Nebraska after the death of his first wife. He worked for Cushman Manufacturing. He, then, became an engineer for York Manufacturing and lived in Henderson, Nebraska.  Jim and Betty moved to Ames, Iowa where he was an engineer for Hach Chemical CO. In 1978 Hach Co. relocated to Loveland, Colorado. They moved with the company and he continued to work for them for 45 years until his retirement in 2017. Jim had a varied engineering career, from testing large earth moving equipment for R.G. Le Tourneau to being send to Africa to teach native workers to build grain bins, to testing water for the Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. His hobby was his cars where he enjoyed repairing and showing them. He was a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He accepted Christ as his Savior at age 16. He was a leader in his church wherever he lived. He was a member of Resurrection Fellowship in Loveland for 40 years and a Board Member, Emeritas. He was a member and officers in the 6:33 Men’s Group. He was member and officer of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship. He helped to start several local chapters in Nebraska and Iowa. You could say he had a heart for people, especially men. To cherish his memory, he leaves behind his wife Betty of Loveland, CO; brother Myron Hensel (Pamela) of Kearney, NE and his sister Marcile Woodward (Josiah) of Kearney, NE. He was the favorite uncle to seven nieces and nephews: James Dean Hensel, Robert D. Hensel, Kenneth M. Hensel, Judith M. Riddle, Robert O. Woodward, Anita M. Morse and Joel D. Woodward. Jim was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Mildred Hensel. A funeral services will be held at Rez.Church (Resurrection Fellowship) 6502 E. Cross Roads Blvd., Loveland, CO 80538 on Friday, June 29, 2018 at 10:30 A.M. Interment will be held at Lakeside Cemetery, Loveland. Memorial contributions may be made to Le Tourneau University c/o Viegut Funeral Home, 1616 N. Lincoln Ave., Loveland, CO 80538