I count everything sheer loss, because all is far outweighed by the gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…..

Phil. 3:8

Martin H. Jensen passed away Dec. 18, 2002, at the age of 91. Jensen was born of Danish immigrant parents, Margaret Christiansen and Laurits Christian Jensen, on Nov. 23, 1911, in Ballard (Seattle), Wash. They moved to Clover Valley in 1919 and he graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1929.

As a young man, Jensen worked for six fishing seasons for Libby, McNeill & Libby company in Alaska and also attended the University of Washington. Five of those years were spent among the Tlinget people in Yakutat. Jensen also spent six years working in the lumber industry in Bordeaux and Raymond and was a founding organizer of Tacoma Cooperative Plywood.

In 1937, Harry married Roberta VandenHoek of Oak Harbor. They had three sons: Merle, Warren and Robert. (Roberta passed away in 1959).

In 1943, Jensen moved his family to Whatcom County where he was deeply involved in various farming activities. In 1953, he was named Conservation Farmer of the Year. In later years, he worked as office manager for Lynden Berry Growers and was a co-founder of Lynden Frosted Foods, managing that company from 1966 until his retirement in 1976. He was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Lynden where he was active for 39 years, serving as president of the club in 1966 and lieutenant governor in 1986-87.

Jensen is survived by Ruth (Swanson), his beloved wife of 41 years; sons Merle (Sharon) of Tucson, Ariz., Warren (Charlotte) of Oak Harbor and Robert (Mary) of Lynden; grandchildren Deborah (Tom Greene), Ingrid (Todd Bechtel), Matthew (Marlyn), Jon (Katharine), Sherra Grasser (Dean), Leah Van Beek (Craig), Doug, and Joe and seven great-grandchildren.

Also surviving are brothers Kenneth (Alice) and Stanley (Louise) of Oak Harbor, Elmer (Annabell) and Ray (and special friend Alice De) of Burlington, and sister Dorothy Cunningham of Arcadia, California; sisters- and brothers-in-law Gertrude VanderHoek (Jude), Cornelius Rientjes (Joan) of Lynden, Wilhelmina Roberts and Kathy Riksen (Oak Harbor), Roy Pittman (Seattle), Elsie Olson (Edmonton, Alberta), and countless nieces and nephews. Many cousins also survive in Denmark. Pre-deceasing him weree his parents, first wife Roberta VandenHoek, sister Anne Pittman (Roy) of Seattle, sisters-in-law Marie and Fritz Bernard and Sara Friberg of Lynden, Marie Goe of San Diego, Gladys Allen of Anacortes and brothers-in-law Cornelius VandenHoek (Marge) of Yakima and J. Lyle Cunningham of California.

Harry lived a full and joy-filled life, was true and dedicated to his Lord, and will be deeply missed by his large family and all who knew him. One of his greatest accomplishments, in the eyes of his family and a lasting legacy to us all, was to be able to set into word his life story. It is fitting to conclude as he concluded that work:

“We have no clue when the Lord will call us home. We do know that we have lived almost completely our lives here on planet Earth. We can say, like so many bumper stickers say here in Lynden, ‘God is so Good’.

Visitation will be held Sunday, Dec. 22, from 1-4 p.m., Gillies Funeral Home, Front Street, Lynden. A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 23, at Sunrise Baptist Church, West Badger Road, Custer.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Sunrise Baptist Church Youth Scholarship Fund or to the Hospice of Whatcom County.