Obituary Record

Soren Jensen
Died on 6/23/1917
Buried in Blair Cemetery

Published in the Blair Democrat June 28, 1917

(Photo)

Soren Jensen, Pioneer Settler Is Laid To Rest

Soren Jensen was born in Veile, Denmark, August 3, 1842, and died at the family home in Blair, Neb., Saturday, June 23, 1917, aged 74 years, 10 months and 20 days.

Mr. Jensen was a well known Danish pioneer and is an example of the opportunities this great land of America has offered to her sons from across the sea. Mr. Jensen was left an orphan in Denmark when a child, and at the age of 22 years emigrated to America, landing in Omaha in 1864, where he secured work as a day laborer in a stone quarry there. There he met his present wife, Anna Sena Petersen, a member of the Danish Colony of Omaha, and who was then employed by the well known Davis family of Omaha pioneers, as a nurse for the present Mrs. H. Kountze, and her brother, Fred Davis, now the Omaha banker.

The young couple were quietly married and after living in Omaha decided to take a homestead and with their covered wagon, belongings and family cow, came to Lincoln Township in Washington County in 1867, and took their claim on which they resided for thirty-five years. For the past sixteen years they have been residents of Blair.

They celebrated their silver wedding, their fortieth anniversary and last year their golden wedding. Their home has been known for years for its hospitality.

Mr. Jensen, although one of Washington County’s wealthiest men, was a man of quiet and simple tastes, and was vigorous and active up to about three years ago. Since that time he has been an invalid and has been tenderly cared for by his loving and faithful wife, and children. Thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, Mrs. Black Jensen, Mrs. Peter Svengaard, Mrs. Ed Gilbertson, Mrs. Mary Siekkotter, Mrs. Geo. H. Kuhr, Jr., Mrs. Henry Voss and James H., J. Peter, Nels M., Edward, Henry, Andrew and Albert Jensen all remain to mourn with the widow the departure of the husband and father. He is also survived by fifty-nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Two brothers, Anton Jensen, of Logan, Ia., George Johnson, of Waterloo, Nebr., and a sister, Mrs. Elsa Jergensen, of Omaha, also mourn his departure. All were present at the funeral.

The family laid three floral tributes upon his casket, a beautiful wheel with a broken spoke from the Jensen Realty Co., a harp with a broken string from the grandchildren, and a beautiful tribute from the widow. Hundreds of friends sent floral offerings and the casket and grave were banked with beautiful flowers.

The funeral services were held at the Danish Church in Dexterville Monday afternoon and the procession was one of the largest ever seen in Blair. In accordance with the Danish custom six sons were pallbearers and the eldest son, J. H. escorted his mother. Rev. Shultz spoke in Danish and Rev. Lang in English and a choir from the Danish Church sang. Also a quartette composed of Misses Vanola Brunton, Mary Cook, Messer’s Don C. Van Deusen and F. W. Arndt rendered “Lead Kindly Light” and “Rock of Ages” in an impressive manner with Mae McQuarrie as organist. The honorary pallbearers were Messer’s C. Christensen, John Voss, Joe Cook, John McQuarrie, Otto Nelsen and B. P. Miller.

The remains of Mr. Jensen were laid to rest in the family lot in the Blair Cemetery which had been in readiness for years.

~~~Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clipping on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Printed in the Blair Democrat/Courier on 6/28/1917


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