Kathleen Jensen

Kathleen Ann Clarke Jensen, another of earth's better angels, passed peacefully in her sleep on January 12, 2025. She was born on November 8,1938 to Opal Ione Hancey and Oswell George Clarke in Logan, Utah. She was raised in the small Cache Valley town of Newton, Utah. She wasn't a fan of small town living as a young girl but came to appreciate the simplerpace of small town living after a life lived in the fast pace of a big city.

After being set up on a blind date by her future sister-in-law, she was courted by the handsome boy Ronald Jensen from the small town of Trenton, just around the mountain. They were soon married in the Logan temple in 1958, went on to have 3 beautiful daughters (mom's bias acknowledged) and 63 wonderful years together before dad passed in 2021.

Mom worked in her early married years as a switchboard operator for Ma, Pa (or maybe even Junior?) Bell telephone company. After moving for the big city of Salt Lake she had short stints waitressing, assembly at Sorensen Research and finally, O.C.Tanner from where she retired.

Mom loved all things nature. She absolutely loved camping in her favorite place of Tony Grove in Logan canyon when we were a young family, and later at Scofield Reservoir where they had a small lot for their trailer and fishing boat. She also had an extensive collection of the most beautiful rocks that she and dad collected over the years, with some that she inherited from her rock hounding parents-from whom she learned the passion.

 She loved swinging on the back porch with her sweetheart, and cloud watching- managing to find every inconceivable thing in those clouds (and not being wrong). Earlier on when Artex painting was the thing (for those who go back far enough to remember), she painted many a table topper, doily, or kitchen towel with true artistic style. Moving on from that she had a period where she loved to crochet and produced some lovely afghans, and for her three daughters the favorite crocheted skirt/poncho sets-back in the day when they were "stylin"!

Before our dad was stricken with the horrible disease of Alzheimer's and she became his #1 caretaker, she forayed into quilting and produced several lovely quilts for her grandkids. It was a short- lived passion but one she enjoyed for a season (more on that later).

Mom has always been a voracious reader until Macular Degeneration of her eyes made it near impossible. She had a gift for word related games, puzzles, and cryptograms (bend your brain kinds).  She also had a passion for playing cards (with some wicked pinocle game strategies), and Hand and Foot later-before her best card friends were unable to play and her eyes and age got in the way. She missed those card days immensely (but her friends more).

She had a beautiful singing voice although she was shy to use it, and she had an eclectic taste in listening music-from country's Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers and Charlie Rich to the Crooners Tom Jones, Englebert and Mathis but especially loved the silky voice of Barry White. However, her all- time favorite piece of music is Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue' which she played very well on the piano in her younger years. Mom was not a big television or movie buff, preferring the game shows over most others but back in the day she did love a good episode of Magnum P.I. and then Blue Bloods (Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds were the only 2 men ever that might have given dad a run for his money).

When we were younger and involved in sports (particularly Bobby Sox softball) she coached our teams several years running. She, along with others, was instrumental in the effort to get softball fields constructed in Taylorsville (where we girls could play our sports the way boys were able) until Taylorsville City decided it made good sense and stepped in to finish the project.

Once mom was far past child rearing, she preferred a good restaurant over cooking (who can blame her?). She loved Chinese food (missing to her end Kowloon Cafe), and eating at Virg's Diner (her most favorite, for both the food and the great people who treated her as family). As dad's illness progressed, she became a big fan of Mcdonalds breakfast burritos, then Bacon cheese McGriddles EVERY day (we should have bought stock!). But in her world the only true food groups were her 3 favorites: ice cream, anything chocolate and tomatoes.

During the working years and long into retirement Mom and dad lunched every week for decades with the life-long friends made from the Sheriff's Office where dad worked as a deputy sheriff. Mom continued to lunch right up until the last week of her life: she was one of only two remaining spouses. Mom and dad also loved to road trip, taking several trips to Yellowstone Park, the Dakota's and Cody, Wyoming among others.

Mom was a very charitable human being. Always looking out for the underdog, quietly providing Christmas for those less fortunate, giving generously to her favorite charities (of which there were many) but had a particular passion for giving to the Utah Food Bank, as she believed that helping meet people's basic needs was of primary importance and was grateful she had the means to help bring security to their lives.

Circling back to the aforementioned quilting joy, her last act of giving was to her family. In her last creative act and as a final Christmas gift and gesture of love she gave each of her family members a handmade lap quilt. Though she required the help of her daughter with the sewing because of her poor eyesight, she chose fabric, cut, pieced, pinned, prayed, and kissed every single quilt. Her deep love for her family is all over those babies!

Mom faced many a hard health challenge in her years, starting with a broken back in high school that took a full year to heal from, stage 3 breast cancer in her late fifties, shingles (that attacked the place in her spine that had earlier been broken) and a life-threatening bout with a flesh-eating bacterium that nearly cost her life in her early to mid-seventies. She rocked it with her effort at recovery after a broken hip and shoulder in mid-eighties, and lastly the disease that finally took her, Acute Myeloid Leukemia at 86. Through all the pain and trial, she fought back with great courage. But the hardest challenge of all was the loss of her oldest daughter Jana at the too young age of 49. All other pains pale in comparison.

This last year as her health waned, she pushed back tenaciously and gave it a good run for its money until her body just couldn't anymore.

WE found her in her bed looking at peace in her favorite flannel pajamas, the fluffy leopard slippers she always wore to bed, wrapped up tightly like a burrito in her blanket-as she always liked to sleep. Daddy and Jannie had finally come to walk her into heaven.

Mom is survived by brother George (Linda) Clarke, daughters Lisa (Keith) Lewis, Lori (partner Bob) Burke; 7 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren (with number 8 on the way). Decedents: Spouse Ronald S Jensen, Daughter Jana Marie Jensen, and adopted by heart son Brian (Becci) Bridge.

A Viewing well be held Thursday, January 16, 2025 ~ 6-8:00 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah.

Graveside service will be held Friday, January 17, 2025, 1:00 p.m. at the Trenton City Cemetery