James Thomas & Dora Jensen

by Jim's brother, Frank (a letter to Ellen Black, Jim's daughter)
"He was always referred to as Jim by the family and close friends. He was the first son of Thomas and Hansine M. Jensen.

It will soon be 47 years, since your beloved father, was called from thissphere of action, but I can assure you, that in his brief stay here in mortal flesh, he made a very good impression on everyone that knew him. He was honest, upright, and always ready to do more than his share in making this world a better place in which to live.
My first recognition of him was when I was 10 years old. As father was at that time figured a big cattleman, Jim was his right hand man in caring for the cattle.
The cattle had been put on spring range down Bear River, this at that time was all public domain and Jim would be sent at times to check the whereabouts of the cattle. It seems that Jim always showed special interest in me, no doubt because I was the youngest of the family. He chose to take me with him (for which I was very happy) on one of these rides. I got my first look at the Hot Springs. Later as we rode down the river, we discovered that some of the cattle had crossed the river, this was not much liked, as it was feared that they may stray too far and be picked up by cattle rustlers, as there was plenty of them at this time. Anyway, Jim chose to cross over and bring them back. It was early spring and the river was very high, as the runoff was not controlled then as it is now.
The faithful horse he was riding was a very good swimmer, she had had plenty of experience since swimming the river was a regular chore on these checkup runs, but it was a horrifying experience for me to watch. The river was so deep that the water lifted Jim out of the saddle and he had to follow along by holding to the saddle horn. I danced with glee when they emerged on the other bank. On the return trip he chose a more shallow place to cross over with the cattle.
Jim had to undress when he came back and wring the water from his clothes. He let them dry in the sun and wind for a while before proceeding home.
The next well remembered time was when I came down with the mumps. It seemed that I had an extra severe case. I lived with Hans and Mary then during the summer months. Father and mother had moved to Preston and we boys stayed on the farm, as it was much better for us than city life. Hans and Mary were very good to us, but it seemed that the interest Jim took in me at that time was outstanding. (This was before he was married.) He was always the last one to come to my bedside at night to see if anything further could be done to comfort me. His love and encouragement always made me feel better.
A short time before he was married, Dora, his wife to be, took me with her, more for company than anything I guess, up to their future home to pick raspberries. In our rambling conversation she mentioned that she thought Jim was a most wonderful boy. I remember that I assured her that she was getting the best one of the boys in the Jensen family, and after years I feel that became a proven fact.
After he married, Jim was called to go on an LDS mission to Denmark. He wanted to go but he was unable to accept because he would need financial aid from father. Father, of course, was not interested in the Church and felt it a waste of time and money so he refused to give any financial assistance.
After Hans and Mary were married, father leased the farm and cattle to Jim, Hans, and Daniel. Soon, to the disappointment of father, they became interested in sheep and made the change. The boys argued that cattle did not produce wool; this was a big item in favor of the sheep at that time.
Hans was the sheep foreman. I worked with him most of the time and enjoyed his companionship. Jim always helped us move to spring range east of Cleveland on Cottonwood Creek. This was all public domain at that time and it was always a big race in early spring to get out first and claim our range and lambing ground. I generally helped Jim to get the camp out to our range.
The roads were terrible as floodwater always washed them out in many places. It took a four-horse team to pull the camp through. (Jim was very good with horses and was exceptionally good with four horse teams.) Sometimes the camp would come near to tipping as the horses plowed through the muck and water. There must have been some superior help with us at times as I am sure we could not have made it otherwise.
It soon became almost impossible to obtain range for the sheep so they decided to sell them, and through an agreement with father, the farm was divided between us boys, James, Hans, Daniel, Harry, and I.
James and Hans handled theirs separately, but Daniel, Harry, and I worked in partnership until we were all married.
As improvements were made between all of us we worked together, this time getting timber for a granary. It was on one of these projects that Jim did his last day's work.
We would go to Squirrel Hollow some 15 miles distance with five teams and wagons (Ferd Christensen worked with us at that time) cut from stump and drag out our loads. We would leave home about 1 AM in the morning and it was always after dark when we got home.
As Jim was an expert with horses he always drove the most unruly team. This was a large black team and one of them was really nervous and mean. Automobiles were new to horses at that time, and whenever we met an auto this horse would really put on an act. At times he would almost take us off the road with our load of logs. I always rode with Jim to help him with the brakes when needed. Jim was really sick the last day out but wouldn't think of staying home. We knew he was the only one that could handle this team so we allowed him to go along.
The next day he went to the doctor in Preston and it was discovered that he was afflicted with Bright’s disease. He stayed in Preston with father and mother and, of course, Dora stayed with him. It was at this time that mother noticed Dora's ability as a nurse. (Dr. Cutler also noticed in your mother's care of Jim that she possessed ability as a nurse and encouraged her to practice nursing, but her time was already asked for in taking care of her young family and later with helping Hans with their combined brood.) Despite all this help nothing could be done for Jim. A doctor from Salt Lake City was summoned and he could do nothing. Jim lingered on for nearly a month before death relieved him. He was the first one of the boys to be called from this short life and it was a terrible shock to realize that Jim would be with us no more.
During his illness we brothers and Ferd would work in the daytime, as this was harvest season, and as Hans had purchased a new Ford Model T, we would go down and visit every night and do what we could to comfort Jim. He seemed to appreciate this very much. I am sorry that I don't have the exact date of his death but it must have been October or November of 1915.
He and Dora were blessed with four of God's choice spirits, two boys and two girls, and they are surely a living monument to their wonderful parents.
After your father's death, Dora made her home at the original home site. I stayed with her to help with the chores and things since her children were so young. It was wonderful the care and treatment she gave me as she struggled along with her young family. She was an outstanding mother and housekeeper.
This arrangement continued until I was called to serve Uncle Sam in World War I, November 21, 1917. When I returned from war, she had joined hands with Hans in caring for their joint family of 11 children. She was a very good cook and could whip up a meal in less time than anyone I know.
From here out I think you can finish this history better than I as you were more acquainted with conditions than I.
I sure appreciate your visits. My health conditions are not the best as you probably know and seem to continue to worsen, but I still have much to be thankful for. My beloved wife and family and I have surely been blessed with choice in-laws. I hope when George takes that step of choosing a life companion he can be as fortunate as the rest have been.
I hope this will fill in a small measure what you desired and may give you comfort in becoming better acquainted with your father. Jim.
Love as ever.
Your Uncle Frank"

The following are excerpts from the personal history of Ivy Dora Jensen Parker.

They give additional insight into the family of James and Dora:

"I was born to James Thomas Jensen and Dora Christena Christensen Jensen onMarch 20, 1912, in Mink Creek, Idaho. I am sure there was rejoicing on that first day of spring as they welcomed another baby into their home. I had a brother, Orvil, born June 8, 1908, and a sister Ellen Ida, born April 1, 1910. Then on May 7, 1914, another little boy joined our family and was given the name of Freaman James. We were happy as a family, as I was told, with kind and loving parents.
We owned a farm and our Dad was building two more rooms on our house. We had a large lot to run and play in and fruit trees to climb. We loved to eat the strawberry apples even when they were green. There was a creek that ran between our house and the road, called Strawberry Creek.
Our joy was short-lived because on August 26, 1915, our father was taken from this life with heart trouble or Bright’s disease. He was only 34 years and Mother was 28 years. We continued to live on the farm. Mother took care of her little family and run the farm with the help of my family members. Dad's brothers, Frank and Harry, and mother's sister, Helen, lived with us a lot. About a mile from our home lived another special family, our Dad's brother Hans and our Mother's half sister, Mary. They had seven children. They were Iona Mary, Chester Hans, Mark Herbert, Thomas Carl, Leeral George, Veleda Vera, and Mary Anna. Aunt Mary was called from this life when Mary Anna was sixteen days old. A little over a year and a month later Mother and Dad's brother Hans were married in the Logan Temple. We had always been so happy to be with our cousins and now we were grateful we could live together.
With eleven children, more rooms were needed so the two rooms Dad was building were moved down and joined to Hans' home. They also built a fruit room in the basement that was dug under part of the house, the one bedroom. There was a slope taken off the back of the house and a pantry, bathroom, and screen porch built on the back. We were so happy to have a bathroom with a large white tub, even if we did just have cold running water. We could heat the water on a coal stove if we didn't want to have a cold dunk. The water was real soft spring water. It was good not to have to make a fifty-yard dash to the little house on the hill.
With so many children to work and play with we had great fun. There were four sets of us almost twins, Chester and Orvil, Ellen and Mark, Tom and I, and Leeral and Freaman. Our home was a gathering place of all the neighborhood, with plenty of excitement and love for everyone. I don't think anyone ever went away from our home hungry.
To Hans and Dora were born five more children. Lynne Joseph who lived only one month and twenty-seven days and died of pneumonia; Rex Lyman; Elgin Calvin; Vera Elane; Donna C.
Our brother Chester had been sickly since he was 14 years old. He was riding a calf and was bucked against a post, which I was told it may have injured his heart. On November 16, 1928, he passed away. This left a great void in our lives.
During these depression years, clothing was hard to get. Mother was a good seamstress and most of we girls sewed but material just couldn't be bought. We had some clothes given to us. I remember mostly the high top button shoes Vera Langford (Dad's boss' wife) at Utah Power and Light Company gave to us and how ashamed we were to wear them, they had been out of style for so many years. After living through the depression and jobs were a little better, I worked in Preston for families and at the Preston Hotel."