JENSON, Donald E.

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ Jan 16, 2002, p. A8 Donald E. Jenson died Jan. 12, 2002 in Sun City West. He was 77. Mr. Jenson was born May 7, 1924 in Stutsman County, N.D. Survivors include his companion Doris Fogelberg; daughters Sharon Graham of Tupper Lake, N.Y., Shirley Thompson of Forsyth, Mont.; Barbara Larson of Carrinton, N.D.; and Cindi Jenson of Wickenburg; son Larry Jenson of Williston, N.D.; brother Palmer Jenson of Lakewood, Calif.; 13 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Dwight and brothers Leonard and Duane Jenson. Services will be held at noon Thursday (Jan. 17) at the Wickenburg Funeral Home, 187 N. Adams St. The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ Jan 23, 2002, p. A8 Donald E. Jenson died Jan. 12, 2002 in Sun City West. He was 77. Mr. Jenson was born May 7, 1924 in Stutsman County, N.D. He was a retired fabricator. Don Jenson was a master improviser, a mechanical genius and a true entrepreneur. He accomplished many things in his life, coming up with many unique and innovative ideas over his 77 years…solving situations many thought unsolvable. In 2954 he and his crew had the challenge of moving a 200-ton O & M grain elevator from Lemert to Carrington, N.D. – a 12-mile move. Quoting a North Dakota newspaper. “The Don Jenson moving crew has been a major topic of interest in the community the past week. It was a huge undertaking in the first place, and observers were pulling for Jenson to make good, and it is quite apparent now that he did make good.” It was not without its snags, however, as the narrow grade of the road caused some anxious moments. Some of the wheels had slipped on the soft shoulder and the entire structure had to be jacked up before the work could progress. But, Don pulled it off successfully. In the late 1980s, Don combined his work as a crop duster into yet another new invention. It seems that Carrington airport was having a problem with the EPA concerning the disposal of the 55-gallon non-reusable drums which had contained spray ingredients. So Don designed a 1 and ½ ton hydraulic machine powered by a log splitting engine to crush the barrels, aiding in proper disposal. When he and his late wife, Elma, came to Arizona, where they wintered, he saw the growing demand for his work as drums kept piling up. So, once again he went back to work. He puttered around the welding shop where he had worked and improved the design of the Jenson Crusher for the Phoenix area. Don’s daughter Cindi and her husband David Johnson then operated the Wickenburg facility. But Don didn’t stop there; he moved on to mud jacking. For those who don’t know, mud jacking involves evening up concrete sidewalks, basements, driveways and slabs, which crack and sink over time. The process looked simple – drill a few holes in the concrete, mix up some mud, put in a pressure pump, push it in the holes and up the concrete goes. But, it wasn’t that simple. Seems Don broke up a few areas when he first stated. Quoting from the Aug. 15, 200 Jamestown Sun in Carrington, “Jenson built the pump himself and learned the hard way just how much pressure can be used to bring concrete back to its original level.” He called himself, the Mud Jacker. Don’s family recalls that he has the wherewithal and a lot of gumption. He loved to fly, just for the fun of it, and owned several planes during his lifetime. His idea of a fun day off was going out to the garage, getting his hands dirty tinkering and inventing things. Although his wife was happy when he returned home, she was none to happy when he came to the door with welding holes in his clothes. He also enjoyed playing pool, even if he didn’t win all the time. However, in his life, he did win. His favorite saying was, “If it can’t be done, I’ll do it.” (snap) And that he did. He will be dearly missed. Survivors include his companion, Doris Fogelberg of Wickenburg, daughters Sharon Graham of Tupper Lake, N.Y., Shirley Thompson-Dugan of Forsyth, Mont., Barbara Larson of Carrington, N.D. and Cindi Jenson of Wickenburg; son Larry Jenson of Williston, N.D.; brother Palmer Jenson of Lakewood, Calif.; 13 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elma; parents Peter and Elinor Jenson; son Dwight; and brothers Leonard and Duane Jenson. Services were held Thursday, Jan. 17at the Wickenburg Funeral Home.