Carrie Roach Marshall Jensen, 79

Carrie Roach Marshall Jensen, of Elmo, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Fort Wayne, Ind.She was born Jan. 7, 1930, in Red Bluff, Calif., to Elmer and Anna (Roach) Marshall.

Carrie was always very active and interested in learning, and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she received the Florence Nightingale Award for Clinical Nursing in 1953. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1954 and moved to Montana where she became a public health nurse.

She met Donald Jensen at a dance in Polson, and in 1957 they were married.

Carrie loved sports and being in the outdoors.She spoke often of her honeymoon ski trip to Banff, Alberta, and spent many memorable ski weekends with family and friends at Big Mountain and surrounding ski areas. Her love of the outdoors was evident in the pictures she painted, the photographs she took and the knowledge she shared of birds, plants and animals. Hiking, gardening, picking huckleberries, beekeeping and canning were some of the activities she enjoyed.She maintained a cherry and apple orchard and loved sharing the fruits of her labors.

Each summer Carrie looked forward to participating in Montana State University's Women's Week. There she gathered with other women to take classes in bird watching, wood carving, bookkeeping, and researching genealogy - something which she took great interest in. She also loved quilting and dancing, and she and Donald spent many weekends over the years at square dances with friends.

Ranching activities were a big part of Carrie's life and she enjoyed horseback riding and hosting cattle drives and brandings each year for family and friends. Early in her marriage her ranching responsibilities included churning butter from fresh cow's milk and, in later years, learning computer programs that would make accounting for the ranch easier.

In addition to activities at home, she loved to travel. As part of the Friendship Force, she and Donald took many trips abroad and made many lasting friendships. Guests from Japan, Germany, Brazil, and throughout the United States enjoyed their hospitality on the ranch in Elmo.

Civic duties were important to Carrie. She was a Republican Committeewoman and chief judge for the local election committee. As a member of the Chief Cliff Homemakers she served as past president, and also was a longtime member of the Lake County Planning Board.

Carrie was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; her brothers, Everett, Robert and George; and sister, Marguerite.

She is survived by her son, Sigurd M. Jensen, of Elmo, and his daughter, Kelly; and her son, Leif D. Jensen, of Fort Wayne, and his daughters, Catherine and Kerrianne, and son, Erik.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be directed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Polson.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, with Rev. Paul Rowold officiating. Interment will follow at Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. Grogan Funeral Home, Polson, is assisting the family.