Shielagh Jensen-Becker was born August 10, 1941, affectionately called Mert and Sunny Lee (Goswick). She spent her earlier years in Spicer, MN with her grandmother, Helen, and her childhood in the ‘little house in the big woods’ in Northome, Minnesota. She learned how to sew, cook, bake, hunt, fish, and all of the things that rural life in the ’40s demanded.
She graduated from Northome School in 1959 and moved to Minneapolis, where she lived in the Uptown area in a women’s club while working and exploring life in the big city. There, her roommate Marleen Anderson became one of her most cherished friends until the present day. She met Russell Jensen and they married in 1965, shortly thereafter moving to Spring Lake Park, MN, and becoming part of the SLP neighborhood with the Hannahs and Chambers families. Shielagh and Russ enjoyed snowmobiling, camping, and visiting family with their two children, Kristen and Karol, and were known for fun get-togethers and hot tub parties in the driveway on more than one occasion. Shielagh was always sewing, baking cakes, or creating something beautiful out of stained glass. Russ sadly passed away from colon cancer in 1992. Shielagh traveled to places such as South Africa and Denmark and spent a lot of time with her grandchildren while continuing to work for US West until her retirement. She found love again and married Richard Becker in 1995, bringing into the family two stepsons and three granddaughters. Family time spent at the cabin on the lake and snowmobiling, traveling to Alaska, Kansas, and Texas in the fifth-wheel, cruises to the Caribbean, sewing club, family gatherings, football games, and countless other cherished memories were part of her busy and full life. While small in stature, Shielagh was a big presence and she will be greatly missed.
Shielagh is preceded in death by her mother, Jean; stepfather, Alden; first husband, Russell; and many more family and friends. She is survived by her husband, Richard; sister, Marah (Dennis); daughters, Kristen (Marc), Karol (Kurt); stepsons, Dan and Mark; grandchildren, Aimee, Erik, Lucas, Gavyn, Ashley, Kaitlin, Amanda, and Richie; 8 great-grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, January 25 at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Mounds View, MN. Visitation at 10 am, service at 11 am, and luncheon to follow. Facebook Livestream is available through the Abiding Savior website here https://www.facebook.com/abidingsaviorlc . We would be grateful if you could join us to celebrate this special lady.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Jensen-Becker family.
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