Arlene Elizabeth (Ollendick) Jensen, age 90, formerly of McIntire Iowa, passed away on April 26, 2025 after a long, courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born on November 26th, 1934 in Elgin, Nebraska to Anna and Frank Ollendick.
She met the love of her life, Harold, at a country dance, and they later married in November of 1951.
To this marriage they were blessed with 6 children, Harry, Robert, Patty, Jolene, Donna, and Barbara. In 1960, they moved to Riceville, Iowa to raise their family.
Arlene was passionate about tending her vegetable and flower gardens. She also enjoyed many years working as a cashier at Austinson’s Variety Store, selling Avon, and even helped out with Dad’s road crew driving heavy equipment.
When she had a free moment, she was also known to partake in a friendly baseball game with her children and the neighborhood kids. In 1973, Harold and Arlene embarked on a life long dream of theirs.
They sold their Riceville home and moved to an acreage near McIntire, Iowa. Bailey, the name fondly given to their acreage, would become a labor of love.
They planted trees, flowers, gardens, and crops and turned what once was an overgrown, unrecognizable plot into a showcase acreage that brought them so much pride and joy.
Arlene’s hobbies included card games, jigsaw puzzles, board games, checkers, and our favorite; a spirited game of ping pong.
Her ardent love for cooking, baking, and canning was known throughout the neighborhood.
She will fondly be remembered for her pies, cookies, homemade bread, and the very best cinnamon rolls. We all cherished her amazing cooking and baking.
Due to progressing health challenges, in 2010, Arlene and Harold moved to assisted living at The Cedars in Austin MN. After Harold’s passing in 2014, Arlene moved to St. Mark’s Lutheran Home, where she resided for the next 10 years.
Arlene was preceded in death by her loving husband of 62 years, Harold; her son, Robert; her daughter, Donna; and her granddaughter, Amanda, 2 brothers, Jack and Leonard, and 2 sisters, Jane and Roseann. She is survived by four children, Harry(Deb) Jensen of Riceville, IA; Patty Jones of Mountain Home, ID; Jolene(Cliff) Knowles of Urbandale, IA; Barbara(Darrell) Kraft of Austin, MN; 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. We will dearly miss the unconditional love she shared as a wife, mother, Grandma, and Great Grandma. Blessed be her memory.
We would like to invite family and friends to join us for a celebration of Arlene’s life, at the Chapel of St Mark’s Lutheran Home, on May 17th at 11am.
We would also like to give a special thank you for the medical care and friendship Arlene received from The Cedars, St. Mark’s, and St. Croix Hospice. The kindness and compassion she received was simply amazing.
We will always be so grateful for all the happy days Mom enjoyed because of your care.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, donations to a charity are preferred.
