"Darwin E. Jensen" by his grandson Darwin A. Jensen

This morning I received a text from Dad that Grandpa Jensen had returned to be with his eternal companion.  Yesterday evening I felt that I should contact Dad and ask how Grandpa was doing; all I could do was ask the question on Facebook and this morning my impression that his passing was soon was confirmed.

May 13, 2007

Darwin and Julia Jensen

Grandpa Jensen had a great impact on me throughout my life.  From the days that we lived on the farm to family reunions (where what seemed like hundreds of family members) crowed his house during the holidays.  When I reflect on the time that we spent together I think I had a unique opportunity when Grandpa would come and visit at our home to go fishing in Alaska.  I found that my love for nature and the wonders that are in it came from this great man.  I will always remember looking into Grandpa's eyes during his last trip to Alaska and seeing the love that he had in his eyes for the beauty of the area that we were in.  Bundled up on a bouncing boat in Southeast Alaska watching the whales and catching halibut or salmon with a light in his eyes that will fill my soul forever.

Grandpa and Uncle Mark in Juneau.

July 2002

There are a lot of people who will say that they love this planet but there is special bond between Grandpa and this land.  As a farmer he learned to draw life giving food from the ground and learned to love the animals that he raised to make a living by drawing on the earth.  My kids will always remember the flying mule that Grandpa trained jump over them.  My favorite picture is when I was not on Kodiak but Grandpa and some of the other family members were visiting my wife and kids.  While everyone was hard at work trying to catch fish, Grandpa took some time to help his great-granddaughter by showing her how to fish and sitting with her on the bank.  Melissa took a picture and sent it to me and it is an image that will live with me forever.

Brooklin with her Great-Grandpa Jensen

June 1999

I don't know how my Dad got the name Darwin, he was not the oldest, I am not sure how the name got passed down to me but I know that having this name has brought great reflection in my life of men that I love and respect.  I know that that is why this name was passed down another generation.  Each year when we were able to take another four generation picture of the Darwin's it filled my soul with happiness.

Four-Generations pictures

Darwin Caleb's baby blessing.

March 1998

July 2002

Summer 2002

June 2009

(grandpa's last fishing trip to Alaska)

My love for the natural world, the wonder and awe that I have; come from a humble farmer who love to be in its beauty and reap from the ground and the life on it all that it had and share that with everyone that he loved.  A man that loved this world I have no doubt will create worlds without end with the beauty that we have around us.

Darwin A. Jensen

June 2009

The last picture...

This picture was taken on July 22, 2010.

It was the last time we said good-bye to Great-Grandpa Jensen