THIS PAGE IS

DEDICATED

TO

OUR FATHER

RONALD DUANE JENSON.

As writen by my sister Melody...

On March 22, 1930 a sweet and innocent little baby boy was born.

At this time in life everything is a new experience, as you are just learning to do a lot of new things in life. When you come into the New World you don't know what to expect out of life or what you are going to be. It is going to be a new learning process for everyone around in your life.

As you grow up, you will do things that you never dreamed you yourself could ever do unless you experiment with it. Life itself is a challenge in many ways . Sometimes you will get hurt and sometimes things will turn out to make you so proud of yourself. Remember the first time you rode your tricycle or had to go to school, these are scary events that someday you will have to do, but with a little help from loved ones and God you will be able to achieve them. When these are achieved you are proud of yourself for being able to do them.

When you are done with school you have to decide what am I gonna make of myself and what am I going to do with my life these decisions are ones that have to be made in everybody's life at sometime. Some people go into the army some people go onto college and some people just go work the rest of their life away. Sometime during this period you decide do I want to be by myself or do I want to make a life with someone I love and want to carry my child. These are all decisions that everyone has to make during there life.

Well this pictucular boy decided to go into the army, and marry a very special lady to him.

Together there times that they were sad and there were times that they were very happy. As in this world they brought in six beautiful children. There were times during this marriage that the road was really rough and there were times like it was a new freeway where you could just go and go and nothing would happen to disturb anything in there way. Well sometimes life just doesn't work out exactly the way you plan and then life becomes really rough. These couples decided to get a divorce and live there own lives and go there own ways. This is a time that is hard for everyone involved as a couple that loved each other very much have to go there own ways. Even though this was done the kids all knew that either of the parents were there for them when they needed them.

Well later on down the road of life some parents remarry someone to full fill their emptiness of love and affection. Even though they are no longer together you know in there heart there is a love bond that never can be broken, as they themselves have parts of the two of them they have made together. In this case it was 6 children all who love and care for their parents very deeply.

So the children as they grew older went their own ways, and led their own lives. All of his children had families of their own and adventually moved out of the area. At this time it became harder and harder for all of the children to get together and for them to be able to see their parents. This is part of growing up and sometimes it can put many miles between families. In this case there are many miles between all the kids and between their parents.

Some people in life can't always show what they feel in life as it is a hard thing to do. Sometimes showing the love you want to show is very hard or you really don't know how to show it. Even though this man loved all of his children very much he himself wasn't able to show his children how much, as he didn't know how to express all his feelings like he wanted to, this I know in my heart.

In late February of 1998 my father called me to let me know his health wasn't very good and was given a period of time to live. When I received this call I made sure all the kids knew and called them to make sure they knew what was going on as I wasn't sure if dad called them or not. At this time when I was talking to dad I told him that he needed to make sure that what he needed done was done, because when you are dealing with cancer time can be shorter than what the Doctors say. I started going over to his house every weekend to help do what ever he needed to do and take him shopping. During this time we had some talks that I never thought we would be able to have again. The talks involved alot of do you remember and what he was feeling in life. When it came to how he was feeling in life it came to me by some of the things he said he has given up on life. At this time I got back with the kids and we planned on everyone making to his house for his birthday on March 22. All the arrangements were made and everyone was going to be there except the oldest as he wasn't sure if he could make it or not. After the plans were made I talked to dad and told him what we were doing and if he could put some of them up to sleep at his house. God if you could of seen the look on his face, the glow in his eyes and the sound in his voice when he heard what we were going to do for him. Man I could never be able to tell you the hurt along with the love that I saw in him, I will never forget it. Everything was set and ready to go and everyone was able to make it except the oldest boy, we had lunch and a cake, which he hadn't had in years. It was a great feeling to see everyone there and dad enjoying himself the way he did. He would open his cards and we saw tears in his eyes as he read them oh what a feeling, I myself don't think I have ever seen tears in my dads eyes before, as then I knew he was really happy and proud of his kids.

On March 31, I received a phone call from his wife that dad was in the hospital, that he hasn't been good all day and she finally got him to go. I hung up the phone and went right over to the hospital to see dad. When I walked into the room I knew it was dad, but I felt something I had never felt before. It was a different feeling I don't know how to explain. He was having problems doing anything he wanted to do and he was hallucinating really badly. I visited with him the best I could, and tried to help him as much as he would let me. Later I took his wife home and I went back for awhile longer and just sat with him. Late that evening I went home to change and came back very early in the morning, as I wasn't conformable leaving him at all. When he woke up and saw me there he asked me why was I here, and I said because I wanted to be with him. During that day I fed him as he couldn't feed himself, and I bathed him. We talked on and off throughout the day. During this whole time he talked about all the kids and mom. He would be hallucinating about a lot of things. Different times throughout the day he would ask questions about each of his kids, or be talking to me like I was one of them . He talked to each and every one of the kids and mom while in the hospital between dad and myself. I knew at that time he loved each and everyone of us very deeply. That night I spent the night with dad and as he laid there in his bed holding my hand I knew it was time for him to go. As he was reaching into the sky saying God take me I am ready. This was said many times throughout the night and each time he squeezes my hand harder and harder. That next morning I promised my second oldest son I would come and get him to see his grandfather, but I didn't want to leave dad as I had this feeling he would be gone when I got back, but I made a promise and wouldn't forgive myself if he wasn't able to see dad. So I leaned over whispered into dads ear, please be hear when I come back, he squeezed my hand really hard so I know he heard me. I don't think I ever drove home so fast and back to be with him. When I walked in the door he was reaching and at that time I knew he waited. I then started giving him a sponge bath and at that point he said I love all of you. My heart stopped as his did too, as he was lying there in my arms. I don't think I ever held my dad so hard and so long in all my life. Boy when I said things happen in life that are rough this one was really rough.

I have been trying to type this ever since and being his birthday is coming up it seemed like the best time to write it. Dad loved each and everyone of us in his own way, even you mom, and this I know for a fact, as we talked his last few days with us. Something in life is hard to accept and somethings are done for a learning experience well this one was both. Death is a hard thing to accept and a very loved one is harder, but dad will always be with each and every one of us in many ways. As far as the learning experience dad I want to thank you for teaching us what you did in life, however I am really sad it took your death to pull the family so much closer together. I wish this could have been done while you were still here, so in your own way you taught us one of the biggest lessons anyone could.

Ronald Duane Jenson--Austin, Minnesota.

A memorial service was held for Ronald Duane Jenson at 11 a.m. May 2, 1998 at Fellowship Methodist Church in Austin. The Body has been donated to Medical Science. Mr. Jenson, 68, of Austin, a retired Weyerhaeuser employee, died Thursday (April 2, 1998) at St Olaf Hospital in Austin. He was born March 22, 1930, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in Glenwood, Minnesota. In 1952, he married Elaine Smith and they were later divorced. He was remarried in September of 1982. Mr. Jenson was employed at Weyerhaeuser in Austin for 25 years. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW, and the Moose Lodge in Austin. Survivors include four sons and two daughters; Scott of Winchester, Ore., Kirk of Oklahoma City, Okla., Mark of Tucson, Ariz., Kent of Turlock, Calif., Melody Loomis of Chatfield, Minn., and Bonnie Avelar of Oklahoma City, Okla.; 14 grandchildren; two great granddaughters, and a sister, Doris Cheney of Park Rapids, Minn. And another sister that preceded him in death.

Dad you will be missed, but you will always be remembered in all of our hearts. We will always see a part of you in mom, all the kids, grandchildren, great grandchildren and all the ones to come.

Thanks again for teaching us a very important lesson in life and that is,

SHOW YOUR LOVE WHILE YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN LIFE.

THIS ROSE IS FOR YOU MOM, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

FAMILY

IS WHERE

YOUR BEST

FRIENDS

ARE

FOUND

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