Obituary of James Leroy Jensen

James Leroy Jensen, of Payette, Idaho, passed from this world on October 25, 2021, following a valiant fight against COVID hanging on until he was able to see his priest, receive last rites, and hold the hand of his beloved wife, Vea, whom he needed by his side. Jim (76) was born in Appleton, Minnesota on January 15, 1945, the third of eight children, to Donald Wallace Jensen and Muriel Lillian Steffen Jensen. Both parents were born in Minnesota. Jim was raised on a dryland farm in rural Minnesota. He attended a one room school from first through eighth grade, drove the truck to town with loads of grain and enjoyed the fruits of a large family. A several-year drought resulted in the family moving to Nampa, Idaho when Jim was a freshman. He graduated from Nampa High School in 1963. Throughout high school, Jim worked for area farmers and enjoyed skating the Nampa Rollerdrome. There he met Linda Patchin. They married and had two children, Karen and Gary. Karen remembers him bundling her up and taking her to the milk barn with him while he worked. The first music she remembers aside from church hymns is Rhinestone Cowboy and other Glen Campbell songs because dad listened to them a lot. He built her a swing on the frame of the old clothesline and painted the seat pink. And he made them Chocolate Chip cookies. Jim later met and married Faith Alvarez. After about 25 years of marriage, Faith went to be with the Lord in 2007. Seeking companionship, Jim tried online dating. He met Vea Black Rabourn. When Vea decided to end her experience with online dating, she called his hand and asked why he hadn't returned her email invitation for conversation (April 2009). His response started a conversation that led to a proposal two months later. Jim was a life-long Christian who took his Sunday obligation seriously, he made his way to Catholicism through his strong desire to attend church with his wife. Jim decided to attend classes in 2009 to learn more about the Catholic Church. He felt he had learned the truth. He made his confirmation into the Catholic Church the following at Easter April 2010. Jim and Vea were married on May 8, 2010, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Fruitland, Idaho. Jim's early work experiences included a family farm; dairy farming with his father-in-law; window and door installation; 20 years self-employment in construction where he was truly a jack of all trades; and postal rural mail deliverer. Years after he no longer delivered mail, he remembered names and addresses of people he had delivered to. He once met a lady at a social gathering, heard her name and learned that she lived in Kuna, Idaho, where he had delivered mail. He quoted her address. She was a little spooked until she learned that he had delivered her mail for years. He took great pride in his work whether on the job, for personal, or volunteer. He was a master woodworker and could make anything without the need for blues. Of the many things he crafted through the years, he made two hope chests for the Catholic Women's annual raffle. He designed them in his head and then crafted them. He appeared to have an engineer's mind keeping facts, figures, and plans in his head. Jim learned the saying "I am busier now that I'm retired than when I was working." Unlike many retired people, he didn't just say it, he lived it. Jim loved orchids and became an active member of the Boise Flower and Garden Club and later became an even more active member of the Magic Valley Orchid Society traveling for years to attend meetings in Twin Falls, Idaho. In the early 80's Jim began to take his love of orchids to the next level. He built a greenhouse and began to grow them at home. He spent many late-night hours working with the orchids, not realizing how much time would slip by. He entered a student judging program and enjoyed working with the judging team at orchid shows. Circumstances resulted in him dropping out of the judging program before becoming a certified judge, but he continued to enjoy working as an observer on judging teams. He was always delighted when the judges asked his opinion and he discovered that he was on track with the judges. Shortly after becoming Catholic, Jim joined the Knights of Columbus in June 2010 and became an officer in July 2010. Jim fell in love with the Knights of Columbus brotherhood and held various office positions in the council including Grand Knight. He became a District Deputy and ran for state office. Jim's love of the brotherhood he found in the Knights of Columbus and the deepening of his faith through Cursillo, bible studies, the annual Catholic men's conference, led him deeper and deeper into volunteerism. Jim sang in the choir and loved singing the responsorial psalms with his friend, Mark Lootens. He loved serving as a Eucharistic minister at mass. He worked the Food Bank for the church which led to him picking up Albertson's food four days a week increasing recently to about 21-24 days a month and distributing it to Corpus Christi Catholic Church food bank, some to Blessed Sacrament food bank in Ontario, Oregon at times to St. Agnes food bank in Weiser, Idaho and to the Banana Box Bargains with the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Payette along with some disabled vets, etc. Through the Knights of Columbus, he learned of a charitable program which lent out medical equipment to those in need. He used to take medical equipment from the Payette area to them and so he would often have equipment at his house until he could take it to Meridian, Idaho. Gradually, word of mouth spread as to the fact that he had a connection with the medical equipment. This led to him loaning out equipment from the stock on hand while waiting to be transported to Meridian. When the Knight that served that program in Meridian decided to hang up this volunteer hat after many years, Jim stepped up and brought trailer loads of the equipment to Payette. He began serving the local community with medical equipment. In fact, Boise, Nampa and Caldwell residents would sometimes drive to Payette to pick up equipment. He built a building to house the equipment and he spread the news about the availability of the equipment through business card distribution everywhere he went. He took the lead on the Annual Coats for Kids drive sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and traveled the valley seeking the best condition coats at thrift stores. He loved doing this project so much that you would have thought he was handing a coat to each kid that would eventually own it. He even shopped for coats while on vacation last year. At a Knights State convention, he learned about the Keep Christ in Christmas program. So, he ordered Christmas cards with Christ as the center and sold them after mass over the last several years. He also spear-headed coffee hour after mass most of the times that the Knights were scheduled to host. He had a strong-held belief that gathering and sharing was an important part of the Sunday worship and a continuance of the mass experience. Naturally, with all the other things he was involved in through the Knights of Columbus it isn't hard to believe that he took a lead with the organization, set-up, purchasing, and ticket sales for the Friday night Fish Fry during Lent. He also revealed in the compliments received on his Sweet Sauerkraut Salad which quickly became a noted and expected staple at every fish fry. Jim wasn't a stranger in the kitchen or at the grill. When he married Vea he proudly pointed out that he had more cookbooks than she did. He loved concocting recipes as much as following a new one. He learned how to make Puerto Rican Rice from his late wife, Faith, and he quickly established a family tradition. He prepared enough to serve 60 people and held an open house around Christmas so the family could come and reconnect, eat rice and beans and feast on his sticky buns. Jim was a faithful servant of God among God's people. He was a faithful husband and father. He didn't know a stranger, or at least not for long. Reflections on Jim by those who knew him follow: an amazing man; such a nice guy; glad I got to visit with him in September; a good, gracious man with a great laugh and amazing sense of humor; God welcomed one of the best; a wonderful person; oh, no, my buddy, Jim (he drove the Suburban); always enjoyed visiting with him; truly a man of God "Well done good and faithful servant;" he was the greatest of guys and did a lot for others; a friend to everyone; Jim was instrumental in "impacting this culture for Christ by all the faithful works he did in the community;" I really enjoyed getting to know Jim "orchid man" during the past few years; he was truly an honorary;" Jim was a great man; Jim was pleasant, cheerful and what a volunteer to help others; our hearts are full of gratitude for the opportunity the Lord gave us to meet a real Child of God; His devotion for serving others was incredible; Jim was one of the good ones; he was one of the greatest Catholic men I know. Jim's children and grandchildren remember his strict, but just discipline. There was a warning and then action. It might have been hard to take at the time, but they appreciate the life lessons they learned from him. The love bond goes deep. Vea called him Hercules because there was nothing he wouldn't and couldn't figure out how to do physically, mentally, or otherwise. And, then he would do it. He earned the nickname of Pumpkin Jim from the daughter of close friends because he grew pumpkins for seeds one year. Jim and Vea shared a love of jigsaw puzzles often working into the late night to finish one. Jim did the edge and worked toward the middle. Vea began with the picture and worked towards the edge. They shuffled pieces back and forth to each other. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Lee Miller and Douglas Jensen; grandson Nicolas Alvarez; brother-in-law Arlie Wayne Black; and sister-in-law Glena Norris. Jim is survived by his wife of 11 years, Helen (Vea) Jensen; his children Karen Jensen - Kuna, ID; Gary Jensen - Washington D.C.; Jimmy Alvarez - Vermont; Angie Alvarez (Steve) Stieger - Boise, ID; Melissa (Russell) - Ontario, OR; and Ryan (Laura) Black - Nampa, ID; Aunt Sally Steffen (101 Years Old) - Park Rapids, MN; siblings: Jane (Eugene) Rachenmacher - Arlington, WA; Peggy (Bob) Nelson - Port Saint Lucie, FL; Kathryn (Cheryl) Stewart - Nampa, ID; Ralph (Nancy) -Idaho City, ID; Mary Ann (Chip) - Houst, Boise, ID; Lyle (Connie) Black - Crane, OR; Bob Norris - Meridian, ID, Kathy Alig - Longmont, CO; Keith (Bobbie) Black - Payette, ID, his grandchildren: Kassi Jensen, Christopher Jensen, Mireya Alvarez, Alexandria Alvarez, Elizabeth Swetland, Sarah Swetland, Abby Swetland, Lily Black, Penny Black, and Cade Black. Great grandchildren: Phoenix Ashworth; Liam Alvarez, Anastasia Jensen, and Oakley Jensen; 16 nieces, 7 nephews and their families; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews along with numerous cousins around the U.S. Family and friends will celebrate Jim's life at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 900 7th Street, Fruitland, Idaho, on Saturday, November 13, 2021, with a rosary at 10:00 AM, memorial mass at 11:00 AM, burial at the church's columbarium wall, and lunch to follow. Service Details. Rosary Service When: Saturday, November 13th, 2021 10:00am Location: Corpus Christi Catholic Church Address: 900 NW 7th St. Fruitland, Idaho 83661 Memorial Mass Saturday, November 13th, 2021 | 11:00am When: Saturday, November 13th, 2021 11:00am Location: Corpus Christi Catholic Church Address: 900 NW 7th St. Fruitland, Idaho 83661 Online Memory & Photo Sharing Event Ongoing Online Event About this event In Loving Memory Of James Jensen January 15, 1945 - October 25, 2021 Look inside to read what others have shared Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. View Tribute Book