Harold R. Jensen, 85

Harold R. Jensen, 85, of Faribault, formerly of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Harold Roger Jensen was born on November 8, 1938, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and resided on a farm west of Geneva with his parents, Elmer and Irene. Harold and his mother attended a Youth for Christ meeting in Rochester in 1951, a pivotal event where they both accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He graduated from Ellendale High School in 1956, lettering in football, basketball, and baseball, attended Austin Vocational School in 1957-58, and then began work for Hill Plumbing and Heating.

Harold married Sharon Burr on September 27, 1959 at the Clarks Grove Baptist Church and were married for 63 years. Harold sold shoes at Wallace’s and Harold’s Shoe Store while serving in the Army National Guard (eight years of service). He began work at the George A. Hormel Company in 1964 in the Quality Control Department, was promoted to foreman of the Hog Kill Department, and eventually became Supervisor of Safety and Security; he retired after working there for 34 years. Harold always remembered the names of the many people he worked with at Hormel and treated everyone with kindness and respect. Many kept in contact with him long after he retired. Post-retirement, Harold worked at the Spam Museum and especially enjoyed meeting new people and the fellowship he had with his co-workers. After the Jensens moved to Faribault, he worked part-time at Shattuck School as a night security guard for three years and, most recently, was a part-time golf ranger at the Legacy Golf Course.

Harold and Sharon are members of the Evangelical Free Church, Faribault. Through the years, he served as a Sunday school teacher at Crane Community Chapel, Community Bible Study leader, a member of the Gideons, and a volunteer at the Faribault Cathedral Community Café. Harold always made himself available to others when there was a need.

He was a pillar of strength to his family, and his life centered around his wife, and their two children, Rod (Lisa) and Julie (Tom). He was an unpretentious family man, soft-spoken and respected by all who knew him. Harold enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s various activities such as basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer games, speech and debate tournaments, Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony concerts, choir and band concerts, and Civil Air Patrol events.

His hobbies were golf, woodworking, and art. His oil painting of the old Mower County Courthouse won a purple ribbon at the Mower County Fair and now hangs in his son’s law office.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Irene Jensen.  Harold is survived by his wife, Sharon; children: Rodney H. (Lisa) Jensen and Julie M. (Thomas) Johnson; and six grandchildren: Madeline Jensen, Grace (Nick) Lehmann, Adam (Olivia) Johnson, Noah Johnson, Michael Jensen, and Giselle Johnson; two brothers-in-law and sister-in-law: Joe (Mary) Burr and John Burr; nephews: Wyatt (Crystal) Burr and Weston (Lindsey) Burr; and niece: Stephanie (David) Yi; as well as several cousins.

The celebration of life for Harold will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 15th at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary in Austin, Minnesota including a visitation from 2-3 pm.  Interment will be at the Geneva Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the Gideons in Harold’s name.