John Dwaine Jensen, 77, of Columbia, passed away on November 15, 2017, at his home, after battling cancer for several years.

John was born February 19, 1940, in Yankton, South Dakota to John D. and Helen Gullicksen Jensen. He attended two years of high school in Yankton and then moved with his mother and step-father to Wagner, South Dakota, graduating high school in 1958.

He married Carol Ann Surber on October 15, 1961, in Sioux City, Iowa.  Three children were born to this union:  John Daniel, James David and Jill Deborah.  The couple divorced May 16, 1974.  John married Kathy McNeff Clark on September 23, 1978, in South Sioux City Nebraska.  

John was Produce Manager for a grocery store in Sioux City, Iowa where he initiated establishment of an employee credit union, serving in several officer positions, and union representation for employees.  He was promoted to Produce Supervisor and Merchandiser for a chain of grocery stores.

He moved to Columbia when he became a salesman for Harker’s Food Service Company, headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa.  John sold frozen meals and other foods to restaurants, schools, hospitals and nursing homes.  His territory stretched from Kingdom City into St. Louis, north to Louisiana and south to Union.  John was an excellent salesman, winning many awards, including Million Dollar Salesman several years and many sales contest trips to Orlando, Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, a Bahama Rama cruise to the Bahamas and a ski trip to Austria.

Later, he operated “Kathy’s Handiman for Hire” out of the couple’s Lake of the Ozarks home.  John then drove a concrete truck for Columbia Ready-Mix, retiring in February 2006.

His hobbies included restoring several 1974 Mercury Capris and rebuilding riding tractor mowers, whick he sold to several neighbors and others.  John was a life-long fisherman, especially enjoying crappie fishing.  He taught both of his sons to fish and they are also avid fishermen.  He enjoyed boating on the Missouri River at Sioux City, Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake and lakes in several states.

John loved flowers, growing beautiful hybrid roses, Japanese Tree Peonies and Tropical Hibiscus.  He landscaped his property in Columbia, first with landscape timbers and later with landscape blocks and, also, his lake house, carrying buckets of trap rock and Missouri flagstones down two flights of stairs.  

John traveled to and camped in many State and National Parks (Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, etc.) and later enjoyed motor home camping at Truman and Mark Twain Lakes, as well as lakes in Kansas, Tennessee and Iowa.

He was active in Ginger Cove Property Owners Association, Lake Ozark and Sunrise Estates Homewoner’s Association, leading the rebuilding of the Association’s Shelter House.

John is survived by his wife, Kathy, his three children, five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, a great granddaughter, his older sister, DeLoris Kleinschmidt and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his step-father, older sister, Arlis Schnieders, brother-in-laws, Herman Schnieders and Matthew Kleinschmidt and sister-in-law, Madalyn McNeff.

Memorial services will be held at Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 20, 2017.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at the Chapel.  

Memorial contributions are suggested to “Make a Wish”, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care, c/o Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel, 1610 N. Garth Ave., Columbia, MO 65202

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