James Jensen

James “Jim” Harold Jensen went home to live with Jesus on June 8, 2014.

Jim was born May 9, 1932, in Columbia Falls to Helmer and Lena Jensen. He was raised in Columbia Falls and when he started to play football and track in high school, he found his love for sports.

He and his friends would work the railroad in the summer as gandy dancers to stay in shape for football, driving railroad spikes, as well as working on the Hungry Horse Dam as a laborer. He once ran the 100 yard dash in 10 seconds flat when he was a senior at Columbia Falls High School.

In 1950, when the Korean War began, he joined the Marine Corps not long after graduating from high school. He served the U.S. proudly during the Korean War and was honorably discharged.

In 1958, he met his future wife, Elaine Hanson, at the Sportsman Bar in Columbia Falls. They married in April  1960.

Jim worked as an ironworker building missile silos in Montana and South Dakota and as a welder for the railroad. In 1963, Jim and Elaine moved to Spokane where he continued to work as an ironworker as well as a paper mill worker, real estate agent and selling cars.

On Nov. 8, 1967, their daughter JoAnna was born, and on Dec. 5, 1973, their son Jim was born. In October 1979, the family moved back to Columbia Falls, and Jim continued working as an ironworker in St. Regis.

From 1983 to 1987, he served on the Columbia Falls Volunteer Ambulance. He was voted president and became an EMT and CPR first aid instructor. He also served on the North Valley Search and Rescue during that time.

Entering his retirement years, he worked as a swamper at the Old River Bridge Inn. With a gift for wood carving and metal working, he would make his own plugs for catching bull trout out of the Flathead River, where he learned to swim and fish.

He had a great love for college football and college basketball and enjoyed watching the Seattle Mariners. He enjoyed talking about history and politics with anyone who would listen. His dry sense of humor and sarcasm will be greatly missed.

He is happily remembered by his wife of 54 years, Elaine Jensen, of Columbia Falls; sister Jackie Clapper, of Spokane, Wash.; daughter JoAnna Jensen Radabah, of Stayton, Ore.; son Jim Jensen, of Columbia Falls; granddaughters Erika Radabah and Jordan Jensen; grandsons Zack and Keven Radabah; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

No services are planned at this time. Memorial service to be at a later date.