Elaine Ruth Jensen

Elaine Ruth Jensen, 93, died peacefully on Friday, July 30 at the Advent Health Hospice Facility of Central Florida in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Elaine was born in Tyler, Minnesota on March 7, 1928 to Carl and Marie Christiansen. She graduated from Tyler High School in 1946, then attended Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. It was there she met and later married Verner Jensen in 1949. She worked a variety of administrative jobs until becoming a full-time mom to son Paul and daughter Linda. (Verner taught high school in Essex, Iowa and Rock Rapids, Iowa until becoming professor of physics at the University of Northern Iowa in 1956 in Cedar Falls, Iowa; then called Iowa State Teachers College.) Elaine went back to college at the University of Northern Iowa in the sixties and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in education in 1969. Elaine loved teaching First Grade at Valley Park Elementary in Cedar Falls until retirement in 1990. Her interests included playing organ at St. Paul Lutheran Church, singing in the church choir (both in Cedar Falls and later at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Cocoa Beach, Florida) and several book clubs, Bible study groups, knitting clubs, following many sports, riding bicycles (she and Verner completed several RAGBRAIs after their 25th wedding anniversary) and loved being a grandmother. Family meant everything to Elaine. She and Verner were snowbirds to Merritt Island, Florida until they moved permanently in 1999 to be close to their kids and grandkids. They became active members of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Cocoa Beach, Florida. They were also active, with Elaine the local chapter president, of the Parkinson’s Disease support group (Verner’s illness). Verner passed away in September 2011. Elaine continued living in Merritt Island until moving to an assisted living facility in Oviedo, Florida and then a nursing facility in Winter Park, Florida (suburbs of Orlando). Elaine was predeceased by husband Verner and her parents and many aunts, uncles and cousins. She is survived by son Paul (Sharon) Jensen and daughter Linda (Steve) Olson and four grandchildren Ryan, Stephanie, Kirsten and Erik. Funeral arrangements were handled by Beckman Williamson Funeral Home in Cocoa Beach, Florida A memorial service will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Cocoa Beach on August 15 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider donations to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2812 Willow Lane, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 525 Minutemen Cswy, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 Parkinson’s Foundation 200 SE 1st St, Miami, FL 33131