Jens Harry Thomsen

    Trinity Dates: 1929 - 1932

    Born: August 23, 1900 in Vestre Mark, Sæby, Hjørring County, Denmark.

    Parents: Theodor Marinus Thomsen and Kristine Pedersen Sørensen Thomsen.

    Died: December 29, 2001 at Atlantic, Iowa. Buried at Elk Horn, Iowa on January 2, 2002. He died due to a brain hemorrhage suffered in a fall a few days earlier. He was bright, active, and engaged in life to the very end.

    Married: Ragna Helene Hansen in 1929. She died in 1941. He married Martha Mortensen in 1943. She died on April 16, 1999.

    Ordained: June 1929 at Elk Horn, Iowa.

    Came to America in 1912.

    Dates and places of service:

    1924 - 1925
    		 Attended Dana College in Blair, Nebraska.

     1925 - 1926
    		  Attended Southwestern Presbyterian College in Memphis, Tennessee.

     1926 - 1929
    		  Attended Trinity Seminary in Blair, Nebraksa.

     1929 - 1923
    		  Pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran in Owatonna, Minnesota, and Brorson Danish Evangelical Lutheran near Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, and St. Ansgar's Evangelical Lutheran in Summit Township, Steele County, Minnesota, and Bethany Evangelical Lutheran in Havana Township, Steele County, Minnesota.

     1932 - 1939
    		  Pastor at United and St. Peter Lutheran churched of Luck, Wisconsin.

     1939 - 1949
    		  Pastor at First English Lutheran of Poy Sippi, Wisconsin, and St. John Lutheran of Saxeville, Wisconsin.

     1949 - 1967
    		  Pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran of Denmark, Wisconsin.

     1967 - 1972
    		  Visitation pastor at Immanuel Lutheran in Harlan, Iowa.

     1972 - 1987
    		  Chaplain at Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn, Iowa.

     1987
    		  Finally retired at the tender age of 87!

    1999
    		  Recognized by the Iowa Synodical Assembly for the 70th anniversary of his ordination.

    2000
    		  Celebrated his 100th birthday on August 23rd.

     Here is a note I received from Pastor Thomsen in 2000.

    This is a copy of his obituary.

     In a phone conversation on September 16, 2000 he told me that one of his favorite memories of his service at Brorson Danish Lutheran was meeting with the young people of the Luther League on Sunday evenings. He also said that in the winter when the snow was deep, he could only drive to the intersection 1 1/2 miles east of the church. One of the members of the congregation would meet him there with the horse drawn sleigh to bring him the rest of the way to the church.

    Reference: 1.

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