Dewayne Jensen

Dewayne Jensen, age 85, of Big Stone City died Sunday, July 12, 2015, at the Wilmot Care Center.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 17, at 2:30 p.m. at Tabor United Methodist Church in Big Stone City with Rev. Melanie Reiners officiating.

Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the time of service at the church on Friday.

Honorary bearers include his grandchildren: Jason Hillmyer, Joshua Hillmyer, Jaclyn Nuveen, and Coralyn Kurtz. DeWayne Wendell Jensen was born on April 8, 1930, in Litchfield, MN, to K. Arthur and Emma (Bomstad) Jensen. He graduated from High School in Grove City, MN in 1948. Beginning in 1951, DeWayne served in the United States Army. During his military service, he built air bases in France and had the opportunity to travel to England to witness the crowning of Queen Elizabeth. DeWayne was honorably discharged in 1954.

On July 22, 1952, DeWayne was united in marriage to Joycelyn Rubel at the Litchfield Methodist Church. To this union, two children were born – Bradley and Lynn. They began their married life in Litchfield, MN, while DeWayne was serving in the Army. They remained there for ten years before moving to Elk River, MN from 1965 until 1984. During these years, he was an electrical lineman for power plants, including Rural REA in Litchfield and Great River Energy in Elk River. In 1984, DeWayne became lineman supervisor in Washburn, ND, where he remained until his retirement in 1994. After retirement, DeWayne and Joycelyn moved to Wilmot, SD, where they lived in their first cabin for four years, before moving to their home on Big Stone Lake near Big Stone City.

DeWayne was a member of Tabor United Methodist Church in Big Stone City, the American Legion Gertje Van Lith Post #229 in Big Stone City, and South Dakota Ducks Unlimited. He also had the satisfaction of serving on various church boards as well as the Robert’s County Township Board.

A true outdoorsman, DeWayne enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and woodworking. He also enjoyed lawncare, oftentimes taking it upon himself to mow his neighbor’s lawns in addition to his own. DeWayne and Joycelyn also enjoyed spending eight and a half years wintering in Arizona. Most important to DeWayne was his family and he cherished every moment he spent as a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be forever missed.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Joycelyn Jensen of Big Stone City; son, Bradley (Barty) Jensen of Watertown, SD; daughter, Lynn (Monty) Hillmyer of Cokato, MN; four grandchildren: Jason (Karina) Hillmyer of Dassel, MN; Joshua (Melissa) Hillmyer of Delano, MN; Jaclyn (Michiel) Nuveen of Grand Forks, ND; Coralyn (David) Kurtz of Grand Forks, ND; fourteen great-grandchildren: Keyra, Dylan, Dane, Karson, Chase, Max, Easton, and Nora Hillmyer, Jack, Jimmy, and Will Nuveen, Mason, Marleigh, and Hadley Kurtz; and brother, Daniel (Marlene) Jensen of White Bear Lake, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents.