Iris Marie Jensen

Her parents were William Henry Taylor and Ollie Maud Olney . She grew up on a large farm in Homedale, Idaho. She had 5 sisters and 1 brother, who all preceded her in death.

She met Allen Frank Jensen in Homedale, Idaho and married him on February 21, 1945. Allen joined the Navy and was stationed at Port Hueneme, California. She moved to be with him on the Naval base. While there she gave birth to a daughter, Maris Elaine Jensen.

After Allen’s Naval service ended, they were without a home and work. They moved to Indio with her parents. Iris worked in a packing shed there. After a year They moved to Arlington, Ca and lived in a small trailer in a trailer park . Their first son, Toby Allen Jensen was born at Riverside General Hospital in Riverside, CA. They eventually bought a piece of land in Mira Loma, California.

Allen built a house there and Iris made it a home. Allen, Iris and Elaine listened to the Elders from the Mira Loma Branch and were converted and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints on September 29, 1956. She and her husband were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. Her Church ward was the River Heights Ward in Jurupa Valley, Ca

Two more children were born, a daughter Melody Estelle Jensen born at Parkview Hospital in Riverside, Ca and a son George Curtis Jensen who was born in the Corona Hospital in Corona, Ca.

Iris was involved in the Relief Society and helped quilt many quilts. She served in the Primary and Boy Scouts. She participated in many bazaars and made meals for the sick. She learned to sew on a singer sewing machine and made rag dolls, clothing, and blankets for babies. She liked to work outdoors more than inside the house. She was a good cook and a baker. Her favorite flowers? Iris’s and daisies. Her favorite color was pink and purple.

To make money from home she took in ironing and sold boysenberries and eggs. She was a foster mother to three children placed in her care.

Later, she took a job with the Riverside Jurupa Unified School District in the food service department. There she baked huge cinnamon rolls and all kinds of other baked goods and food.

After retirement she returned home to gardening, babysitting grandchildren, embroidery, quilting and all kinds of things. She and Allen were called as Riverside Stake Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. She was faithful visiting teacher and taught a Primary class at church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen Jensen, Her son Toby Alan Jensen and by her Great Granddaughter Mikayla Bonner. Following her son’s death she suffered a stroke and ended up going to bed and lived out her remaining days,of 3 1/2 years, bedridden.

She leaves behind the following: daughters, Elaine and Melody and son Curtis, daughter in laws Shelly Jensen and Mary Jensen. She leaves a posterity of 14 grandchildren, 24 great grand children and 9 great great grandchildren.

Also left behind are first nieces Deanna Brodnicki, Brenda Watts, Celia Mode, Paulette Smith and Peggy Schroeder. First nephews Jim Paradise, Larry Prow, Milton Taylor and Terry Taylor, Stan, Steven, and Brian Zatica and many generations of nieces and nephews.