- Date Of Birth: July 21, 1918
- Date Of Death: November 15, 2010
- State: Iowa
Ralph J. Jensen, 92 of Gilmore City died November 15, 2010 at Windsor Nursing and Rehab Center in Cedar Falls, IA. Ralph Jacob Jensen was born July 21, 1918, to Jens and Bothilda (Schreiber) Jensen, Danish immigrants. He attended the Gilmore City Schools graduating in 1936 where he excelled as a high school state fourth place wrestler under Coach Hugh Linn. The following year he enlisted in the Navy serving with the Pacific Fleet as a mid-shipman gunners mate aboard the USS Saratoga. He continued to succeed as a wrestler winning numerous tournaments arranged between ships or in San Diego; he also received the All-Service Champion Trophy. In 1941 he was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval base in Chicago where he met and eight weeks later on December 17, 1941, married Enid Tulla of Rock, Michigan, daughter of Finish immigrants. Enids mother had predicted she would marry a man who would have something to do with water. Ralph was stationed in the Aleutian Islands assigned to mine sweeper as net tender for torpedoes and on an LCI gunboat in the Pacific near the Philippines and at Okinawa. Ralph returned to Gilmore City where he eventually apprenticed as an electrician under Fletcher VanAlstine, later purchasing the business, which functioned as Jensen Electric for over 50 years. Within the community he also drove the school bus for many years, served on the volunteer fire department and on the city council, was a member of the Hartnett-Johnson Legion, and attended First Lutheran Church. Ralph and End were members of a 500 Card Club. Ralph was always fond of the sports world as a high school athlete football, baseball, and wrestling; as a owns keeper for the local football games along with Leonard Johnson; as a spectator when his son’s played sports for Gilmore City-Bradgate; and as a viewer of sports on television, football, baseball, and car races. He enjoyed having coffee with family and friends, playing cards, and eating home cooked food prepared by his mother and wife who were both excellent cooks. Ralph continued to reside in Gilmore City until November 2007 when the effects of Alzheimer necessitated long term care in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he died November 15, 2010. Ralph was proud of his family that included sons: James and Dayle, Douglas and Kathy, John and Carol, and Micheal and Cindy; grandchildren: Julie Buswell, Matthew (Jen) Jensen, Dana Jensen, Cole (Lonna) Jensen, Anne Jensen, Brock Jensen, Dana Jensen, Robert Jensen, Phillip (Heidi) Jensen, Timothy Jensen, Alexandra Jensen, and Emily Jensen; great-grandchildren: Caitlin Buswell, Carter Buswell, Gavin Jensen, Mackenzie Jensen, Tulla Jensen, Madison Jensen, and Parker Jensen; nieces and nephews: David (Jen) Clark, Diane (William) Cunningham, Deb (David) Burton, Howard Tulla, Marvin Tulle, Dorothy Tulla, Lu Phillips, Norma (Butch) Brodale, and Betty (Chris) Scheuchl. Those who preceded Ralph from this life are his parents Jens and Bothilda, wife Enid (1990), sister and brother-in-law Melba and Richard Clark, sister-in-law Tye Sperry, brothers-in-laws Ed Sperry and Bill Tulla, nieces Meda Tulla and Nancy Tulla, nephews Ron Ekquist and Robert Phillips.
