Funeral services for Leona Ruth Jensen, age 87, of Albert Lea will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Hartland Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Rev. Dennis Schmidt will officiate. Interment will be at North Freeborn Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Leona died Sunday, May 31, 2009, at her home.
Leona Ruth Jensen was born on June 29, 1921, to Earl and Sara (Beck) Milligan in Ionia, Iowa. She attended elementary school and high school in Nashua, Iowa. Leona attended the Little Brown Church in the Vale. On Nov. 20, 1940, Leona was united in marriage to James Jensen in Nevada, Iowa. The couple moved to the Freeborn County area in December of 1941 where they farmed. Through the years they lovingly cared for and opened their home to many foster children. Leona was active in the North Freeborn Lutheran Church, Hartland Evangelical Lutheran Church and the local Birthright Chapter. She enjoyed traveling, quilting, gardening and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Survivors include children, Allen Jensen and wife Kathy of Albert Lea, Sandra Pick and husband Maynard of Cold Spring, Renee Novak and husband Robert of Montgomery, Marlin Jensen and wife Lillian of St. Paul, and Randall Jensen and Gina of Alden; 20 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; brother-in-law, Aloysious (Wish) of Ionia, Iowa; sisters-in-law, Adeline Larson of St. Croix Falls, Wis., and Ethel Mae Milligan of Waterloo, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.
Leona was preceded in death by her parents; husband, James; grandchildren, Ann Marie, Kari Jo and Melissa Ann in infancy; brothers, Kenneth, Robert and Harold Milligan; sisters, Lucille Bacon, Olive Usher and Gladys Diesburg; three brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law.