Lloyd Richard Jensen (Lefty), age 90, passed away April 6, 2015 in Wolf Point, Montana.
Lefty was born in Racine, Wisconsin on February 15, 1926 to Thorvald and Marie (Nielsen) Jensen, first generation immigrants from Denmark. When he was 3 months old the family moved to the Mineral Bench Community north of Poplar. He went to a country school through the eighth grade. In 1940 the family moved to Wolf Point where he attended high school. Lefty was active in football and basketball and in his senior year the basketball team won the Montana State Class B tournament in Great Falls. He graduated in 1944 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed in San Diego and Guam, getting an honorable discharge in 1946.
Lefty married the love of his life Jeanette (Koepke) on April 17, 1949. They celebrated their 66 th anniversary in 2015. Jeanette passed away 6 months ago and Lefty longed to be with her again.
Lefty worked for Montana Dakota Utilities for 34 years retiring in 1986. Post retirement he continued to repair refrigeration equipment and electric appliances and enjoyed spending time in his wood working shop and drinking coffee with friends twice a day. Lefty and Jeanette especially enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Lefty loved sports and was very active in baseball, playing for the Wolf Point Amateur Team and the Tule Creek Team and coaching Babe Ruth baseball. His dad and brothers also formed a very successful bowling team. Lefty was an active member and president of the Wolf Point Jaycees, and commander for 2 years of the VFW. He was especially involved with the Elks Club where he was Exalted Ruler for 2 years and Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler in 1981-82. Lefty was honored as “Elk Of The Year” in 1978 and again in 1999.
Lefty is preceded in death by his wife Jeanette, his parents Thorvald and Marie, his sister Verna Schumacher, and his brothers Ed, Art, Jerry and Donald “Felix”.
Lefty is survived by his children Cheryl Hansen of Wolf Point, Richard Jensen (Bill Sharpton) of New Orleans, LA, and Connie (Wes) Neubauer of Wolf Point. His grandchildren include Ross Neubauer (Lindsey Ellison) and children Kelsie, Kaleb, Nevaeh, and Eli of Wolf Point; Sandra (Neubauer) Idzi (Tomasz) and children Maksim and Mila of Clarksville, Tennessee; Steven Neubauer (Rebekah) and children Kate and Penny of North Bend, Washington; Crystal Hansen of Great Falls, and Kevin Hansen of Wolf Point. Lefty is also survived by many nieces and nephews.