Frank C. Jensen

Frank C. Jensen, 62, of Hinsdale, Mont., passed away at his home on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

The family will receive friends on Friday, April 14, at the Bell Mortuary in Glasgow, Mont., from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be 11 a.m., April 15, at the American Legion Hall in Hinsdale, with burial following at Hillview Cemetery in Hinsdale. A luncheon will follow at Hinsdale American Legion Hall.

"Frankie" was born on June 17, 1960, the youngest child of Frank and Alma (Nelson) Jensen. He was raised at their place east of Hinsdale near the Milk River.

Frankie attended Hinsdale Public Schools most of his life, except for two years spent in Cut Bank, Mont., where he received specialized instruction in learning with dyslexia. Preferring the social aspect of education over academia, Frank focused his energy in developing his trademark sense of humor, which was a great equalizer for him. He became very adept at reading the feeling of rooms and the people within them; he had a high emotional intelligence.

When it came to maintaining work-life balance, Frankie leaned heavily on the life side of the equation. He particularly enjoyed experiencing the world through the lens of travel and friendship. During the Christmas season of 1990-1991, Frankie and his good friend, Bill Pratt, embarked on a tour of Australia, an adventure he re-lived often and with great fondness. He also spent time in the Netherlands and England. While exploring roads closer to home, Frankie preferred to roam by riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle. He had no fear of walking into any place (here or abroad) and not knowing what an event was, or who might be there. He had confidence that he would make a friend and have a good time.

Frankie had a sweet side when it came to people, stories, and things. Some might say he was an "accomplished collector." He often regarded items according to sentimental value above functionality; aged, inoperable dirt working equipment and vehicles in various states of disrepair had pride of place on his property. Frank particularly attached a great deal of nostalgia and sentimentality to the farm north of Hinsdale, homesteaded by his grandparents, Albert and Ida Nelson.

Frankie loved animals and inherited his father's fondness for Hereford cattle, a breed he considered superior to all others. And it would be remiss not to mention his dog Ruff, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and iconic character who loomed large in stature and Frankie's esteem. Ruff's best parlor trick, taught to him by Frankie, was mounting up on a horse.

Frankie was very close with his parents. He maintained a youthful heart throughout his life and therefore shared a great rapport with young people. He loved his daughter Alysa and was very close with his grandson Alyx. He teased and related to his nieces, Tracie and Darcie, as if he were their older brother and had an ally in his nephew, Danny. Great-nieces and nephews Frank, Ailene and Aoife Benedict, fondly called him "Guf," (an abbreviation of Great Uncle Frank) and he warmly embraced them and the nickname they gave him.

In some ways, Frankie spoke his own language. He was fluent in his native tongue of "the Jensen mumble" sadly, it can be assumed that most of his brilliant quips and commentary have been lost to the ages, as listeners sometimes struggled to translate his dialect into English.

Frankie's quick wit and irreverent sense of humor were appreciated and will be sorely missed.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jens Frank Jensen; mother Alma Nelson Jensen; and nephew Danny Black.

He is survived by his wife, Dawn Jensen; daughter Alysa and grandson Alyx; brother David (Voni) Jensen and their children Tyrone (Jordan) and Tiffani (Mike) Ottoboni; sister Carol (Garth) Allingham and children Tracie (Dan) Beck and Darcie (Danny) Fast; sister Connie Osen and children Dane Osen, Desi (Rob) Benedict, Kirsten (Tim Branda) and Otto Osen; great-nieces and nephews Wyatte, Summer, Shelby and River Jensen; Abigail, Hunter, Bridger and Emma Beck; Aiden Perkins and Nova Lynn Perkins; Frank, Ailene, and Aoife Benedict; and Scarlett and Kurt Branda.

Condolences may be left at bellmortuarymontana.com.