Robert Orsey Jensen and Victorine Lois (Strong) Jensen will be remembered during a Celebration of Life service held on December 14. Both were life-long residents of the Avoca area, married to one another for almost 70 years. Bob passed peacefully into eternity on October 12 at the age of ninety-four. Victorine celebrated her 89th birthday just one week before her passage into eternity on October 2, 2020.
Bob was born in Shelby County, June 2, 1930, to Chris and Irene (Rold) Jensen. His family lived in Walnut, then on a farm on the east edge of Avoca. A 1948 graduate of Avoca High, he enlisted in the Navy, training as a mechanic in San Diego. He served on the USS John Hood, traveling through the Panama Canal region before being stationed at Naval Bases in Virginia and Philadelphia during the Korean war. He and his high school sweetheart, Victorine Strong, were married in 1950.
Victorine was the child of Raymond and Burnice (Jensen) Strong born in Atlantic on September 25, 1931, growing up on the family farm west of Avoca. She attended the local one-room school for 8 years before high school in Avoca. Upon graduation in 1949, she moved to Omaha, taking instruction in Dictaphone and comptometer at Boyles College. She worked for United Telephone in Omaha before joining Bob in Virginia.
After receiving an honorable discharge in1952, Bob and Vic returned to Avoca, where they raised four children and were members of Trinity Lutheran Church. Bob was employed at the local Chrysler dealership, then the Iowa Department of Transportation for 27 years. He was part of the volunteer fire department for 30+ years, served on the fair board and was recently honored as a member of the American Legion for 70 years. He was also known as one who would help wherever he was needed, fixing many cars, helping people move, working at church events and delivering Meals on Wheels. Victorine worked for several local businesses while being very active with the kids’ activities, assisting with Cub Scouts, 4-H, Bible School, Junior Legion Auxiliary, and others.
Once the kids were gone, they began to take a camper to Prairie Rose to relax—they loved watching the birds and the water and enjoying nature, keeping a boat at Lake Lewis and Clark in Yankton SD for several years. They started taking longer trips to visit family and friends— Montana, Georgia, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, New Jersey and several trips to Alaska. Vic had time to take up hobbies she’d always wanted to explore, including painting, quilting, and especially genealogy, and (with Bob’s help) putting together a history of the family of her maternal grandfather John Jensen of Avoca. Bob was always fixing things, working with his hands, helping others fix things.
After Bob retired, he and Vic became winter Texans, taking a camper to the Harlingen area each December for 20 years, where they worshipped at the Lutheran Church in Raymondville. They continued to travel, visiting friends and relatives as well as attending “John Hood” reunions.
Bob and Victorine are survived by their son, Robert Jensen and friend Karen Henry of Phoenix AZ, daughters Christi (Dennis) Strudthoff of Canton GA and Cynthia (Thomas) Heilig of Harlan, son-in-law Richard Wittmann of Omaha, sister-in-law Nancy Strong of Carson, 7 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter, loving in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews and wonderful friends, neighbors and care-givers. Preceding them in death were their parents, their daughter Linda Wittmann, granddaughter Teri Strudthoff Bowden in 2023, and siblings Doris Jensen Merkuris. Beulah Strong Heilig, infant sister Virginia Strong and Russell Strong.
Memorial Services will be Saturday, December 14th at 11:00 AM at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca. Family will greet friends one hour prior tot the service. Burial will be at the Graceland Cemetery. The Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Avoca is in charge of arrangements. Memorials can be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca.
