Daniel Delano Jensen, age 93 of Greenville, was born July 19, 1931 to Nels and Mary Belle (Maide) Jensen in Audobon, Iowa. He was the last of four sons, the preceding one of whom was 12 years his senior. Maide always said Danny was “the blessing.”
Dan attended a one room school in Exira, Iowa grades 1-8, and then 2 years of high school in Exira and 2 years in El Monte, California. He worked in his brother’s candy kitchen there, and later moved to Ohio to work in the Beldon Brick Company for 16 months until he began his Army service.
Dan was drafted into the Army in 1952. He served in Korea from 1952-1954 in the US Army Signal Corps as a communications specialist. One of the benefits of the Korean Army service was receiving “letters from home” written by young women who served their country by writing to young service men. Well, Janet Rae Stiver, one of those young women, started a correspondence with Dan, and the rest, as they say, is history. On April 2, 1954, he finally met Jan for real. They were married on April 2, 1955.
That summer they moved to San Diego so Dan could attend San Diego State on the GI Bill. Dan graduated from San Diego State in 1960 with a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts degree in 1964. Two of their three children, Ellen Rae Jensen Kershaw and Laura Gail Jensen Brazman were born in San Diego.
In the summer of 1960, the Jensen family moved to Greenville, Illinois at the call of Greenville College (now Greenville University) – Darrell Richard Jensen was born in 1963. Dan taught history and political science at Greenville College for 36 years until his retirement in 1996. In addition to teaching, he was a chapel speaker, song leader, student choir director, international student club sponsor, factory theater set carpenter and tech director, and as an actor, best know for his portrayal of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.” His favorite role was that of Willie Loman in “Death of a Salesman.” He was also a travel specialist as he took many student groups to Mexico and Washington D.C. In 1982, he graduated from Illinois State University with a Doctor of Arts degree.
He is also remembered for crusading the Blood Bank’s cause – he was nicknamed “Benny Bloodletter” in honor of his untiring persistence in signing up students who had never before had the courage to be a blood donor. He, himself, gave 25 plus gallons. In 2015, he was honored as the Most Dedicated Blood Drive Coordinator of the Year for the State of Illinois.
From the early 1960’s until his retirement in 1996, Dan helped Mama Jan serve lunch in her home day care. He was “Daddy Dan” as he washed children’s hands, ladled soup, fed little ones, told stories, and sang silly songs with all the “wrong” words.
During those busy years, he was also a circuit preacher for the Presbyterian Church, Parish of the Open Door, preaching weekly in several area small town parishes. After preaching, he hurried back to the Greenville Free Methodist Church to teach his adult Sunday school class.
After his retirement in 1996, Dan became an active carpenter, builder, and cabinet maker for the college, for the Free Methodist Church, and for the community. He also handmade many beautiful nativity stables and other wood items for sale at the hospital bazaar and as gifts for family members and friends. Other after retirement activities included traveling with friends to Europe, being an election supervisor for the Bond County Election Board, conducting Sunday evening sing time at the Glenwood Retirement Center, was a volunteer instructor for inmates at the Greenville Federal Prison Education Department and was, for 9 years, a lecturer at Illinois Girl’s State. He served on the first board of the Simple Room. Fund raising for the Simple Room was a true personal challenge, be he did it.
Dan was Committed to raising and lifting up - He raised up:
1. Beans, broccoli, and tomatoes
2. Children to adulthood
3. Ideas to fruition
4. Cogent sentences from incomprehensible student written papers
5. Language as an art form and a source of delight
6. The Word of God as the only antidote to the despair and tribulation of this world.
Dan is fondly remembered by his survived wife of 70 years and 2 days – Janet Rae Stiver Jensen, his children, Ellen Rae Jensen Kershaw (David) and Darrell Richard Jensen (Judi), grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers: Earl, Robert, and Dick, and his daughter Laurie.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 24, 2025, at the Greenville Free Methodist Church. Interment will be private in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Greenville. Visitation for Dan will be held Friday, May 23, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Greenville Free Methodist Church. Memorials are asked to be made in lieu of flowers and plants to The Simple Room, Free Methodist Church.
Donnell–Wiegand Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. For those not able to attend, memorials may be mailed to Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home, 203 West Oak, Greenville, Illinois 62246.
Online condolence or to share a picture or memory may be made online by visiting www.donnellwiegand.com.
