Veteran’s memorial project sparks interest in genealogy for Jensen family

(Above) Walter Jensen proudly admires the four blue stars on the front door of his Clear Lake home in 1942 representing his four sons serving in the miltary.-Submitted photo.

by Marianne Gasaway

The veteran’s memorial currently under construction at Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868 on Main Avenue has done more than simply pay tribute to those who served.  The project has inspired at least one family to take a closer look at their family tree.

“We are definitely pleased about the local memorial,” said Craig Jensen, who has taken his interest in genealogy to a whole new level as a result of the memorial.  “I knew a lot of stories, but not a lot of facts.  The memorial really got me going and motivated me to get information from my cousins.”

In preparation for submitting names and photos to the Post for the memorial, Craig learned his family had four members who served during World War II.  Craig’s father, Joe (given name John), was one of eight children in the Walter (Walt) and Alice (Kate) Jensen family from Clear Lake.  Joe and his three brothers all enlisted in the military in 1942.

Joe was a mechanic in the Army Air Corps who advanced to become an aircraft crew chief at Taft Air Force Base in California and then as aircraft maintenance line chief at Hickam Air Base in California. Vic, the youngest of the boys, was a pilot.  He flew Liberator 4 engine B-24 Heavies on bombardment raids throughout the European area from France to the Caspian Sea.  Gordon, the oldest, was  a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps who served as a mechanic who registered in the Army and spent the war at a Maryland base. Gil (Gilbert) Jensen was a mechanic, servicing all “Flying Tigers” aircraft at the 8th Aerodome Squadron in Kunming, China.

All four boys returned home to Clear Lake after the war and were re-

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united with their parents and siblings, who included Laverne, a towering figure at 6’7” who was best known by his nickname, “Tiny,” AnnaMae, Alice and Maxwell.  Through his research, Craig learned that Maxwell actually went to live with relatives who were unable to have children.  He helped with farming and was formally adopted by the couple so that the farm could remain in the family after their passing.

The Jensen family name has been a part of Clear Lake history for many years.

Grandfather Walter (Walt) Jensen came to the United States from Denmark in the late 1800s and was an apprentice at his future father-in-law’s blacksmith shop in Clear Lake.  Walt left Clear Lake to work as a blacksmith in Crystal Lake, Iowa, but returned to Clear Lake in 1903 to marry Craig’s grandmother, Katherine (Kate).  They later returned to Crystal Lake and then lived in Dike, Iowa before settling in Clear Lake again.

As he has pursued his family history, Craig said the communication has been opened between he and his wife, Mickey, and cousins.

“Some of the boys’ own families didn’t know their fathers were in the service,” said Craig.  “It’s been a long process, but certainly interesting and worth it.”

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