Elise Jensen

Elise Jensen, age 91, of Newell, Iowa died Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Newell Good Samaritan Society in Newell. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Nain Lutheran Church in Newell. Burial will follow in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation will take place Tuesday, April 5, 2016 from 5-7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Newell. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Newell is in charge of the arrangements. Elise Stoltenberg was born February 16, 1925 in Holbaek, Denmark, the daughter of Carl and Sina (Husted) Stoltenberg. She was baptized in Denmark. At the age of four, Elise and her family moved to Copenhagen. As a young adult she worked as a delivery girl for a brand name store and then was promoted to store manager. In 1950, Uncle Jens sponsored Elise to the United States. She traveled from Copenhagen to New York on a ship. Shortly after arriving in Newell, she met the neighbor boy, Eric Jensen. Elise traveled to California, where she found a job as a nanny. Elise and Eric continued to correspond through letters and soon Eric proposed on the phone and sent the ring in the mail. On May 28, 1955, Elise and Eric were united in marriage in San Francisco, California. Together they were blessed with one daughter, Eileen. The couple made their home two miles east of Newell where they farmed. Elise was a member of Nain Lutheran Church in Newell where she was involved in WELCA. Her Danish roots were very important to her, as she was a member of the Danish Sisterhood. She was also involved in the NCN Club and the American Legion Auxiliary. She always loved to be outdoors. In her younger years she stayed active by hiking, rowing, and bicycling. Elise liked to garden and raise flowers, help on the farm, and play with cats and dogs. Elise even rode part of the first ever RAGBRAI. She enjoyed getting together with the card club, and traveling in Europe, Scandinavia and different parts of the United States. Eric and Elise made multiple trips to Denmark. Most of all, Elise loved spending time with her daughter and grandchildren, especially when they came to the farm. Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Eileen Jensen of Papillion, Nebraska; grandchildren: Robert Wilson of Papillion, Nebraska; Christina Wilson of Peyton, Colorado; niece, Inga (Stoltenberg) Leerberg of Koege, Denmark; and her second cousins, the Tuttle and Duitsman families. Elise was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Eric; sister, Edith Jensen; and brother, Boerge Stoltenberg.

Elise Jensen

February 16, 1925 - April 2, 2016