George F. Jensen

Maj. George F. Jensen a recent resident of Crawfordville, FL and long time resident of Alligator Point, passed away January 10, 2011. He was 90.

George was born in West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on May 3, 1920, to George and Elsie Jensen. The family moved to Arlington Heights, IL, in 1922, where he lived until enlisting in the US Army in 1938. He sailed to Hawaii where he served as an MP, and later in the Infantry, stationed at Schofield Barracks. At the end of his 3 year enlistment he left Hawaii, 3 months prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Arriving back home in Illinois, he proposed to Betty Lois Lanham, his sweetheart of 5 years. George reenlisted in the Army in Jan, 1942, and while stationed at Ft. Robinson, AR he married Betty on April, 4, 1942 in Little Rock, AR. Lt. Jensen graduated from OCS in Ft. Benning, GA, Mar 15, 1943 and with his wife Betty enjoyed all assigned stations until he went overseas, landing at Omaha Beach, Normandy, FR. Aug. 25, 1944, where he served in the 8th Div chasing the enemy across France, Belgium, Luxembourg and into Vossneck, Germany. On December 8, he was wounded by fragments of a German “88”, the platoon he was fighting in repulsed the German counter attack for which he received both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After convalescing in FR and GB, he rejoined his outfit in Kassel, GR on VE Day. His outfit left Germany and after a 30 day leave in Illinois with Betty he rejoined his outfit in Missouri, on VJ Day, 1945.

After attending several training schools including the Military Government School, he was assigned to Heidelberg, GR where Betty joined him in Jan, 1947, His next assignment was in Stuttgart, GR where they welcomed a son, George William Jensen on Feb 19, 1948. They returned to the States in 1949 to Ft. Carson, CO, where he received orders to Korea. There he earned a second Bronze Star and a promotion to Captain during the Korean War. Returning to the States in 1952, George and his family, were stationed at Ft. Knox, KY and spent 3 years in Gelnhausen, GR where he retired as a Major, on Feb 28, 1959 (at age 38). Civilian George moved his family to Tallahassee, FL where he attended and graduated from FSU, in 1962, earning a degree in Industrial Arts Education. While interning at Carrabelle HS, in Carrabelle, FL he liked the area, people and school so much he moved the family to Alligator Point, after being hired by the school. George thoroughly enjoyed teaching Industrial Arts at CHS for 17 ½ years, retiring in 1979. While living at Alligator Point he became a charter member of the Alligator Point Volunteer Fire Department, where he served passionately as a firefighter volunteer for 25 years. George and Betty lived on the Point for 41 years before moving to Crawfordville in 2005.

George is survived by his wife of 68 years Betty Jensen, his son George Jensen, and wife Betty of Bellview, GA, His grand daughter Jennifer Kissam, her husband Chris and their sons Nickolas (8) and Nathaniel Kissam (4), Greensboro, NC, his great grandsons.

A Celebration of Life will be held at, 2:00 PM, Saturday, April 16, 2011, at Mission By The Sea, Alligator Point, FL. The family will receive friends after the service with light refreshments served. His ashes will be scattered later by the family at the Point he loved so much. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alligator Point-Saint Teresa Volunteer Fire Department or Mission By The Sea.