Howard L. Jensen

Howard L. Jensen, 81, of Dannebrog was called from this life on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at CHI Health St. Francis Health in Grand Island.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island.  Father Martin Egging will officiate.  Interment will be in Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul with Father Rayappa Konka officiating.

Visitation will be on Friday, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m. at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul.

Memorials are suggested to the Dannebrog EMT’s or COPD research.

Mr. Jensen was born February 4, 1935 on the Jensen family homestead northeast of Dannebrog to Marius and Alma (Mortensen) Jensen.

Howard attended District 16 school and then Dannebrog High School where he graduated in 1953.

At age 47, Howard’s father Marius died.  Howard was a junior in high school and at that time Howard had to take over the farming duties along with making sure his mother was taken care of.  Howard also worked for farmers doing haymaking and thrashing.

He was united in marriage to Vivian Sack on May 19, 1973 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island.

The couple lived on the family farm near Dannebrog.  Along with farming for all his life, Howard worked at the sugar beet factory, Fairmont and Fairacres Foods and Island Supply in Grand Island.  For many years, Howard was a lineman for the Cleveland Telephone Company near Dannebrog.

Howard retired from farming when his health worsened.  Howard then worked at Walmart in Grand Island for 18 years beginning in 1991 in the night maintenance department.  After eight years, he moved to the day maintenance department.  No matter what Howard was doing, he mission was to help people.  In 2009, he retired because of health issues.

Howard sold Vigortone Feeds for about 30 years and did custom feed grinding for area farmers.  He also was a NC+ dealer.  He was an avid hog farmer, running a farrow to finish operation.  He was a good steward of the land.  He had a respect for the all wildlife including the deer and pheasants on his farm.

Howard loved to weld.  Two of his favorite projects he did with his son Vincent was to make a bobsled and a 2 wheel oxen cart.  Another one was taking apart dump rakes and making cattle corrals from them.  Howard could also take a scrap of wood and make any number of items from it, basically making something out of nothing.

He was very proud of his Danish heritage.  He loved his children and grandchildren, loving to attend their activities and having all his family together for special events.  If farm duties wouldn’t allow him to attend church, he would find time working in the field for prayer.

His wife, Vivian was his caretaker for the past three years because of his poor health.  Howard developed COPD from working for many years on the farm around fumes and in hog confinements, both jobs that he loved and was dedicated doing.

Howard and Vivian enjoyed attending Nebraska football and volleyball games.

He was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul and the Knights of Columbus of St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Grand Island.

In his earlier years, he taught Sunday School at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Dannebrog.

Survivors include his wife, Vivian of Dannebrog; his children, Valerie J. and Wesley Sandquist and their family of Grand Island, Vicki M. Sims, her significant other, Fidencio Garrido and her son Lucas Sims of Los Angeles, CA, and Vincent and Deidre Jensen of Dannebrog.

He is preceded in death by his parents.