Lifelong resident of Enumclaw, Betty Lou Jensen passed away peacefully on September 28, 2020.  She was born on November 17, 1924 to Louis and Signa Jensen. Betty’s family history in Enumclaw goes back to the early 1900’s. Betty’s grandfather, Signa’s father, was a long-time resident of Enumclaw and helped build many of the town’s buildings as a mason. Their homestead and hops farm sat near where the Enumclaw Expo and golf course is now located. Later in life, he became Enumclaw’s first judge.  Louis, Betty’s father was a steam shovel operator who dug the original Pete’s Pool as well as many other projects in the area.

Betty lived her whole life in Enumclaw except for several years, in her early twenties, where Seattle became her location of work and residence.  She worked in the Seattle office of the Great Northern Railroad and lived downtown. She spent her weekends, back in Enumclaw where she felt at home.  It was on one of those weekends that she went to a dance at what is now called the Enumclaw Expo Field House. There she met John Jensen, who would become the love of her life.  John worked at the Weyerhaeuser Mill as a blacksmith and finished up his working career as a salesman at Paulson Motors which became Gamblin Motors, where he retired.

Betty and John were married and settled down to life in what was then rural Enumclaw.  They built a new home in 1950 where there were fields of cows all around them.  Today her home for the past 70 years is surrounded by houses and the biggest field in sight is her backyard.

Betty’s working career in Enumclaw began at the Jensen’s Clothing Store where she worked with her mother and brother-in-law Walt Jensen, the owner. She later worked at the Enumclaw First National Bank, where MacRae’s Indian bookstore recently resided. From there she moved to work for Doctors Adams, Asmundson and Anderson, which became the Enumclaw Medical Surgical Clinic. She made the move from their office located next to the present Post Office to the current location which has been named the Franciscan Medical Clinic.  She enjoyed 25+ years working with numerous doctors and staff.

Toward the end, Betty said, “I’ve had a wonderful life!” and “I’m ready to go and be with my husband John, when the Lord takes me.”

She is survived by her son Mark Jensen and his wife Diane;  her grandchildren Tanya (Jensen) Rennie and husband Ross and their two sons Jacob and Nathan, Janel (Jensen) Hass and her son Luke, and Lindsey (Jensen) Frohlich and husband Chip and their two daughters Lauren and Madison. John, her husband of nearly 30 years passed in December of 1988.

Please share a memory of Betty on the tribute wall.