Stanley George Jensen, 86, of Lincoln, died September 29, 2020 due to heart failure. Stan was born to Edwin and Myrtle (Beardshear) Jensen in Homer, NE on September 22, 1934. He grew up on a small general practice farm in the Missouri bluffs and went to a one room school for his elementary education. He participated in 4-H from an early age and one year had the Grand Champion beef calf. At Homer High School he participated in all sports and extracurricular activities offered. His academic work won him a Regents scholarship to the University of Nebraska. He earned a BS in Technical Agriculture and stayed at UNL to earn a PhD in Plant Pathology. While a student he met and married Janice Swanson a dietetics student from Burwell.
Upon graduation he accepted a position with the USDA-Ag Research Service doing research on virus diseases of small grains at the newly created Northern Grain Insect Research Lab at Brookings, SD. During his 17 years at Brookings he published numerous scientific papers primarily on the effects of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus on the Physiology and ultrastructure (electron microscopy) of wheat, oats and barley. In 1979 he accepted a transfer within ARS back to UNL to work on diseases of corn and sorghum. He published several papers on viruses of corn and sorghum of particular significance were some papers on seed transmission. He discovered the etiology and epidemiology of a serious virus causing an epidemic in corn and wheat which he called the ‘High Plains Virus’ which is now known as Wheat Mosaic Virus. With others he described the seed transmission, host plant resistance, RNA sequence and effects on the ultrastructure of corn of HPV. Dr. Jensen published more than 150 peer reviewed scientific papers and three book chapters. His last scientific paper was published 50 years after his first.
Jan and Stan were married for 62 years and had three daughters, Cindy, Linda, and Susan who are all college graduates now married with families. Stan and Jan were a great outdoor couple, skiing, camping, hunting, and fishing together for nearly all their married life. Their international travels extended over 60 countries. Stan played basketball until his knees gave out at age 75.
Stan was very active in civic and professional societies. In Brookings he was elected president of First Lutheran Church, the Jaycees, The Brookings Swim Club, The United Way, Alpha Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta, South Dakota Chapter of AAU and Co-Chair of the Brookings Centennial. In Lincoln Stan served as president of the North Central Division of APS, The Cornhusker Ski Club and the Hillcrest Heights Association.
Survivors include his wife Jan, their three daughters and families, Cindy, Robert, Hunter and Colton Arias; Linda, Steve and Meghan Schellpeper and Angela and Remington Johnson; and Susan and Dale Martin all of the Lincoln area. His brother Vern and Lucetta of Mission, TX and numerous extended families. Preceded in death by his parents, brother Lynn and wife Marianna.
Funeral Service: 1:00 pm Saturday (10-3-20) Roper and Sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 ‘O’ Street. Burial will be 1:00 p.m. Monday (10-5-20) in the Omaha Valley Cemetery in Homer, NE.
Following the CDC COVID-19 guidelines, we will comply with social distancing and limited room capacity. Masks are required for all in attendance.
Visitation one hour prior to service time.
Memorials to the University of Nebraska Foundation.