Obituary of Sharon J. Jensen
Sharon J. Jensen (80) resident of St. Maries, ID passed away on October 15, 2024, with her daughters by her side. She was born on April 1, 1944, in Taft, California. Sharon was raised by her grandparents Oliver and Mattie Sailor and grew up adventuring in the foothills of Taft and the beaches of Santa Cruz. Sharon graduated from Taft Union High School with the class of 1962.
Following graduation, Sharon worked as a Lifeguard before enrolling at San Jose State College. She also attended Taft Junior College where she obtained her AA Degree in Criminology. Sharon worked as a Police Dispatcher for the City of Taft for a few years before going to work as a Matron or Detention Deputy for Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department. It was there she met (in her words) “a very handsome deputy”, Pete Jensen. The couple used to love to tell their friends they met in jail. Their first date was a jeep ride, and as Sharon stated “Pete reassigned his dog to the backseat where it was apparent the dog was not happy with his newly assigned position”. The couple married on May 29, 1968, in Carson City, NV and had 2 daughters. They were married for 55 years.
While her daughters were growing up, Sharon went to work as a Vault Clerk and Service Desk Assistant, a Retail Salesclerk, did Bookkeeping Services for small local businesses, was a Travel Agent, and managed a small Grocery Store. Sharon completed her working career as an Administrative Assistant for Byron Union School District, where she loved working with the kids.
Pete and Sharon purchased property near St. Maries, ID in the late 1980’s. When Pete retired, he moved onto the property and built a shop with living quarters. Sharon retired from the school district in 1995 and joined Pete on their property. The couple lived in their shop while they built their forever home.
In Sharon’s younger days, she was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader as well as a 4-H leader, always supporting anything her girls wanted to do. Attending every event, she was the girl’s biggest fan. They can’t remember a time when their mother was not present in their lives. She water skied, swam in the ocean, hung out on beaches, and loved to ride horses. These were also adventures that she shared with her daughters. She was a determined woman who never stopped learning new things. In 1994, she attended Los Medanos College to earn a Certificate of Achievement as a Travel Marketer and Agent.
If there was a problem, you could always count on Sharon to find a solution. She was witty, loved to laugh, and was humble and kind to all; human or animal. Sharon spent 26 years volunteering at Hope’s Haven Animal Shelter fulfilling different roles. She took grant writing courses to help write grants for the organization. She was involved with the Master Gardeners, Ladies Auxiliary, Valley Peacemakers Quilt Club, Camera Club, Study Club, and Ladies of the Elks. When she wasn’t volunteering for an organization or trying to learn something new, Sharon enjoyed spending time outdoors with Pete. They loved to camp and ride their side by side, work in their garden, and Sharon loved to travel; she wanted to see the world.
Sharon is survived by her children Signe Jensen of Nampa, ID and Trina Jensen Crane and Chris Crane of Silverton, ID. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Pete. You may visit Sharon’s online tribute at hodgefuneralhome.com. Memorial services for Sharon will be held at the Community Presbyterian Church, in St. Maries on November 24th at 12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Hopes Haven Animal Shelter (PayPal.Me) in honor of Sharon Jensen.
(https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BenewahHumaneSociety?fbclid=IwY2xjawGDmAhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYoJIJL6Y-TBz_g3LSz6fiqDDgS6wIpUb2xpD67lLM0AQrlAXopVqhmTjg_aem_dNHLOrLC0lHjrGuZvKuGcQ)
