Hazel Marie Jensen

Monday, July 10, 2017 12:26 pm

Hazel Marie Jensen, 97, of West Union, died Tuesday, July 4, 2017, at Aase Haugen Senior Services, Decorah. Visitation was 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 7, at United Methodist Church, West Union. Celebration of Life Services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 8, at United Methodist Church, West Union, with Rev. Chris Ebbers as the officiant. A private family inurnment was held. Burnham-Wood-Grau Funeral Home, West Union helped the family with the arrangements.

She was born June 29, 1920, to Mary (Leistikow) and Edward Neumann in Windsor Township, in Fayette County. Hazel was baptized July 25, 1920, and confirmed June 10, 1934, at Zion English Lutheran Church in West Union. She graduated from West Union High School in 1937, and attended Upper Iowa University and received normal teacher training. She taught country school at Westfield No. 2 and Windsor No. 1. Hazel married Jens Christian “Bud” Jensen, Jr. May 4, 1944, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They lived on the farm northwest of West Union until 1978, when they moved to town. In February of 2013 they moved to Traditions, where she lived until moving to Aase Haugen Home, in Decorah, in May of this year. She was a member of the Monday Morning Methodist Volunteer Visitors at the hospital for many years and also volunteered at Good Samaritan Center for 20 years. She received awards for her volunteering. She carried “Meals on Wheels” for several years. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in West Union since March 31, 1946. She loved to read, and she and Bud spent many hours putting puzzles together. In her autobiography, written in 2006, she left our family with these thoughts. “There is an invisible thread that binds families together and keeps them in touch. My wish is that all members of my family remember to ‘hold tight the thread’. Be sure and always keep in touch. It’s natural for families to get located a long way from one another. Never let go of the thread.” She loved her family very much. She will be greatly missed.

Hazel is survived by a daughter, Jane (Ken) Vande Berg, of Decorah and a son, Jay (Carol) Jensen, of West Union; five grandchildren: Travis (Farha) Vande Berg, of Syracuse, N.Y., Jeff (Jennifer) Jensen, of Dike, Christina (Chris) Monson, of Grand Rapids, Minn., Lori (Nick) Rissman, of Decorah, Dayna (Ryan) Goodchild, of Johnston; eight great-grandchildren: Alexis, Jayce and Trey Jensen; Olivia and Carter Rissman; Grayson and Greta Goodchild; and Ella Monson.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Bud, March 8, 2013; her infant son; her parents, Mary Leistikow Neumann and Edward Neumann; her sisters, Mildred Osmundson, Ethel Voshell, Irene Dumermuth and Erma Neumann; and her brother, Robert Neumann.