Valetta Grace Jensen

Valetta Grace Jensen, the daughter of Laurence Peter and Vera Hazel (Aikman) Sorensen, was born October 26, 1930 in her parents’ farm home in Audubon County near Gray Iowa. She was baptized December 12, 1930 and confirmed April 15, 1945 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa.

Valetta attended several rural schools in Audubon County. In 1943 her parents moved to a farm located two miles south of Gray and Valetta and her two brothers attended school in Gray, known as the Gray Consolidated School. They attended the school in Gray until the family moved to a farm north of Kimballton in 1948. At that time she entered Audubon High School for her junior year and then graduated from Audubon in May with the Class of 1949. In 1950 she enrolled in a trade school in Omaha, Nebraska. After completing her training she went to work in Coffeeville, Kansas for a short while.

On May 14, 1952, she was united in marriage to Floyd Emanuel Madsen at the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa. They were blessed with four sons Dennis, Donald, Larry, and Jeffrey. They farmed for several years. Valetta was a stay at home mother while the boys were young then went to work outside the home in 1969. First with Talbot, Carlson, Inc. She worked there five years, then worked as a supper cook at the Friendship Home a short while. Floyd died in 1985. On May 30, 1987, she married Marvin Leroy Jensen at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. She worked at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church as a Secretary for several years. During retirement Valetta and Marvin enjoyed traveling around the United States visiting friends and relatives. Marvin died October 30, 2016 after Valetta entered the Friendship Home in June of 2016 where she passed away there on July 24, 2022 at the age of 91years, 8 months and 28 days.

Valetta was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon and was active in the women’s circle groups. She also was a member of the Federated Women’s Club several years. She enjoyed traveling but most of all enjoyed spending time with her family.

Preceding her in death was her first husband Floyd Madsen in 1985 and later by her second husband Marvin Leroy Jensen in 2016; her sons Dennis Eugene Madsen and Donald Leroy Madsen; her parents; her brothers Leroy and wife Eleanor Sorensen and Harold and wife Nancy Sorensen; her sister Hazel and husband Charles Suhr; her mother-in-law and father-in-law Helen and Ole Madsen and her mother-in-law Dorothy Jensen.

Valetta is survived by her sons: Larry Madsen and Cindy Seiler of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and Jeff and Chelle Madsen of Audubon, Iowa; her stepsons Jerry and wife Mary Jensen of Atlantic, Iowa and Douglas and wife Susan Jensen of Audubon, Iowa; her grandchildren Lindsay Madsen and Ryan Birmingham of Des Moines, Iowa, Jacob and wife Betsy Madsen of Waukee, Iowa and Tiffany husband Tyler Young of Des Moines, Iowa; her step-grandchildren Jay Jensen, Jason Jensen, Shawn Jensen, Sara Finnegan, Clint Hoffman, Carly Fry and their families; and 2 great-grandchildren: Loreli and Benita, and 13 step great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law Grace Larsen of Audubon, Iowa; nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Dan Beattie on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, with burial at 3:00 P.M. at the Lincoln Township Cemetery southwest of Gray, Iowa. Casket bearers will be Doug Jensen, Jerry Jensen, Shawn Jensen, Tyler Young, Ryan Birmingham and Jacob Madsen. The family will meet with friends Thursday morning, July 28, 2022 from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at 11:00 A.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa.

The family prefers memorials to either the Friendship Home or Hospice of the Midwest.