(Photo)

Jeanette Christina Jensen was born in Austin, Minnesota on December 23, 1937, to Edgar and Lenore (Carson) Thon. She graduated from Austin High School. After spending a year in Portland, Oregon, she returned to Minnesota where she met Charles (Chuck) Jensen, who was riding in a local rodeo.

Jeanette and Chuck married on February 2, 1959, and spent a long honeymoon in Florida, attending the winter rodeos. Upon their return, Jeanette became known to many in Blair as Chris because her father-in-law, Jens Jensen, introduced her to friends using her Danish name. In 1960, the couple bought 80 acres south of Blair on Nelson Hill Road. Jeanette loved living in the country; she loved the quiet beauty of nature. She enjoyed taking care of all kinds of animals including horses, dogs, cats, ducks, rabbits, chickens, sheep, donkeys, and bucket calves. One of Jeanette's passions was flower gardening; she had extensive knowledge of the different species and varieties of flowers and put that knowledge to use in a large garden and many beautiful planters. Jeanette's love of science, and biology, in particular, inspired her daughter to study science and embark on a career in clinical laboratory medicine. Jeanette's other passion was reading. Although she read a variety of books, her love of American literature inspired her son to study the subject and become a high school English teacher and then a university teacher and administrator.

Although Jeanette worked at several jobs in Blair and Omaha, she considered her most important role to be a supportive wife and mother. She spent many hours as a grade school room mother, little league mother, and 4-H leader. She attended countless softball and baseball games and school events. There were frequent cook-outs at the farm for friends and family. After Chuck died in an accident in 1994, Jeanette continued to live in the country until 2012 when she moved to a house in Lincoln. After a long illness, she passed away at her home on March 16, 2019, with her son and daughter by her side.

Jeanette was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Chuck; her father- and mother-in-law Jens and Lola Jensen; her brothers Richard Thon and Larry Helfritz and her sister Lowanda Thon.

She is survived by her daughter Kelly Jensen and her son Travis (Karla) Jensen, all of Lincoln; her sister DeeAnne (Loren Dunham) Helfritz; her brother Keith (Dianne) Helfritz; and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Jeanette's ashes will be interred at the Blair Cemetery later in the summer after a graveside service for family. Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army in Lincoln or the Capital Humane Society, also in Lincoln.

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

FindaGrave memorial #199021567