Frances "Bernice" Jensen (83)

Our Wonderful, Amazing, Loving, Beautiful Wife, Momma and Omi entered through the pearly gates of Heaven and was welcomed into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior on Wednesday October 15, 2014; after her courageous six month fight (like a girl) with cancer.

Frances "Bernice" Jensen was born on April 13, 1931 to Bernard and Emily Ivarie in Beulah, North Dakota, as the oldest of four girls.

At the age of 4 she and her family took her first train ride from Beulah to make their home in Astoria, OR. Being born into the depression era she was farmed out at age 14 to a Navy Family at Tongue Point as a nanny and housekeeper for three months during the summer. After that she worked as a Candy Striper at a local Catholic Hospital. While attending Warrenton High School she was 17 and had her first and "best" boyfriend and wrote of her attractions to Howard Jensen as "Tall - Always clean and dressed nicely, kind and mannerly and such a gentleman" whom she married on October 23, 1948. The unfolding of their fairytale love story then began.

With Howard's first job being in construction they moved around with three of their children 19 times in the first five years of their marriage. Buying their first home in Hammond Oregon in 1953 where they made their home for the next 7 years where she worked various jobs such as the fish cannery and the mink farm, along with being a devoted wife and momma. One of her favorite pastimes was attending dances with the love of her life and their other couple friends while dancing the Jitterbug and the night away to live Big Band music in her best dresses and heels.

In 1960 they moved their family to Salem Oregon, where they resided for the next 6 years. While there they extended their family with the birth of their youngest child. While living here she sold Fuller Brush, Sara Coventry Jewelry as a way of meeting new people and extending her circle of friends. The two of them became acquainted with several new couples and decided to begin bowling in a mixed doubles league every Friday night. This classy lady's artistic and homemaking abilities were endless, from sewing for her family, canning, cooking, gardening, child rearing, oil painting, ceramics, tole painting & crocheting, which have become keepsakes and treasures to her family and loved ones.

In October of 1966 they moved their family to Othello, Washington where they have resided for the last 48 years and called this home. She worked for various local business owners such as Ginny's Tots and Teens, Vess Jewelry and for CC & Clyde Andrews driving a lumber carrier for a local potato processing plant . In 1978, she opened up her own ceramic business named the Hob-bee Shoppe in her garage. She poured her own molds and fired all her own greenware, she taught many women in this community classes on cleaning and painting their own wares. She so enjoyed all these lovely women and the memories they made together laughing and sharing. It saddened her so to close the doors in 1992 due to a back injury and surgery.

Our family became members of Pilgrim Lutheran Church in 1966, and have continued to worship there. Momma just loved being a part of this church family and loved each and every member of this congregation as though they were her own blood. All who met her felt the love that she emitted through her warmth and smiles. After becoming ill, momma so missed attending worship, she was blessed that so many continued to visit during her battle.

During their time in Othello she and dad traveled to many large cities in the US as a result of dads involvement in RETA (Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association) for conventions, where they met many wonderful people and enjoyed fancy galas and city tours for the women of the engineers while they were in meetings. Mom and Dad also continued their love of bowling in a mixed doubles league for years at Othello Bowl.

On July 1, 1996 dad retired and the two of them decided to start traveling the country with friends and family in their motor home. Their first trip was cross country taking them away for 3 months, momma thought she would go crazy from loneliness for her children and their families. This was the last 3 month trip they ever took, the rest of their shorter travels took them to Arizona, California, Oregon, where they would camp, sightsee, golf, and antiquing. They enjoyed many laughs and great times while traveling and have numerous memories with those that joined them. They would "split a gut" many a day!

As the children began to marry and have children of their own, she was elated with the addition of each and every child who joined our family. They were all loved and cherished to the moon and back. Always there with praise and guidance they were the loves of her life as she was ours.

Some of her pastimes which she loved were reading gossip magazines, doing crossword puzzles, word finds, and watching Judge Judy and other court shows. She had class, always having her hair, makeup and nails done to the nines.

All of these experiences that Momma and Daddy shared together never meant as much to her as just being a wife, a momma, an Omi, a great Omi, and a great great Omi. Holidays were the highlight of her days because they were filled with love, laughter and most of all "family" times together. Her hopes during her illness were to be able to share Thanksgiving and Christmas one last time. She will be greatly missed because this lady was the love of our lives who was the glue that held our family together. She was the one who would listen without judgment, who would love without condition, who would bring a ray of sunshine to a rainy day. There are too many emotions and words to describe this love of our life, such as loving, kind, thoughtful, radiant, flawless, magnificent, extraordinary, unique, emotional, tender hearted, forgiving, sentimental, elegant, splendid, glorious, personable, chatty, witty, joyful, woman that we call Mom and Darling. We love you "beyond measure", we love you "more", we love you "enough". We'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places.....

Survived by: Husband, Howard Jensen, Children, Steven (Elizabeth) Jensen, Daniel (Susan) Jensen, Pauline (Larry) Garrison, Joyce DeLeon (Tim Sandberg) Sisters: Betty Brim, Beverly Azevedo Many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. With a family count of 70 of us Jensen's

Preceded in death by: Parents, Bernard and Emily Ivarie, sister Bonnie Beatty, Grandsons, Steven Louis Jensen Jr., and Shane Alan Kinder

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Pastor Ginny for her prayers, guidance, love and support, Dr. Randal Bunch, MD, for his above and beyond medical care and friendship through the years and Assured Hospice of Moses Lake Family for their loving & dignified care of our precious wife and momma especially during these arduous times.

Lovingly, Howard, Steven, Daniel, Pauline and Joyce

Funeral Services are provided by

Steven's Funeral Chapel.

Service will be held at Pilgrim Lutheran Church on Friday October 24th, at 11:00 am.