The Funeral Service for Oliver Harvey Jensen, of 603 Cherry Ave., Albert Lea, formerly of Emmons, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the First Presbyterian Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. Dwight Netzer will officiate. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Military Honors will be accorded. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, and one hour before the service at the church.

Oliver died on Friday, Jan. 2, 2004, at St. John’s Lutheran Home in Albert Lea. He was 78.

He was born on Feb. 27, 1925, on the family farm near Viborg, S.D., the son of Walter C. and Elsie M. (Jensen) Jensen. He attended country school near Viborg and then began working on area farms.

He served our country in the U.S. Army from April of 1945 until November of 1946, and had guarded German prisoners.

Following his return from the service, he was united in marriage to Ardis R. Nelson.

They were married on April 6, 1947, at the First Presbyterian Church in Albert Lea, and had enjoyed sharing more than 56 years together. They first made their home in South Dakota where Oliver worked on farms and then attended Vo-Tech in Springfield for the auto mechanic course. In 1950 they moved to Albert Lea, made their home in Emmons from 1966-1994, and then returned to Albert Lea. He had worked for Smith-Douglass Fertilizer Plant which later became Borden’s and then at Universal Tire Warehouse from which he retired.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Albert Lea, the Emmons American Legion, and was a longtime member of the AFL-CIO where he had served as an officer.

He enjoyed country life and the outdoors, riding his tractor, going to auctions and tinkering.

Frying eggs for his family on Saturday mornings brought him much joy, and he loved spending time with his grandchildren.

Oliver is survived by his wife, Ardis of Albert Lea; five daughters: Carol and her husband Gary Oney of Mankato, Annette Jensen of Faribault, Brenda and her husband Roger Swanson and their children, Kristy and Jeffrey, of Albert Lea, Judy and her husband Irving Busman and their children, Jessamy, Andy and Megan of Chandler, Minn., and Ramona and her husband Doug Jacobson and their children, Kirsten and Gunnar, of Chanhassen, Minn.; two sisters: Phyllis and her husband Fred Kerr of Tucson, Ariz., and Grace and her husband Burdell Knudson of Centerville, S.D.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Jim McAthie of Madison, S.D., Harold Jensen of Centerville, S.D., Nila and her husband Earl Taylor of Goletta, Calif., Sherman Nelson and his wife Pat of Tucson, Ariz., and Wanda and her husband Stanley Dowd of Albert Lea; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters: Thelma McAthie and Marion Jensen; brother, Donald Jensen; two nephews: David Taylor, and Dennis McAthie and his son Dennis; and niece, Julie Knudson.

Oliver will be remembered for his joking, teasing, loving manner, and he will be greatly missed by those who loved him.