MS IDAHO SENIOR AMERICA 2014,
CATHY JENSEN

CONGRATULATIONS to CATHY JENSEN, Ms Idaho Senior America 2014!

Family – it has given structure and meaning to Cathy throughout her life. Being raised in a small rural community, she enjoyed the companionship and guidance of many siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents. Large family gatherings with lots of good food and family entertainment helped provide a happy childhood and relatively carefree teenage life. Cathy loved participating in choirs, community plays and dances during this time.

Three weeks after graduating from college with a Bachelor degree in Communications, she married a young man who shared her same love of music and drama. The ensuing years were busy with a quickly growing family (7 busy and active children), moves for employment (and to make room for the expanding family) and of course many opportunities for participating in musical activities. She still found time to be involved in musicals and plays, with many of her family members participating at the same time. At home, the family enjoyed singing the songs of Broadway accompanied on the piano by their father/husband. The highlight of every family Christmas Eve program was the family rendition of “Sleigh Bells” with everyone playing an instrument of some kind and singing with “great gusto”.

During this time Cathy was very involved in leading and directing the activities for the women, young women and children of her religious community. Volunteering in her children’s schools, working part-time as an in home day care provider, bridal seamstress and administrative assistant for her husband’s real estate career kept life busy, challenging and rewarding. A divorce after 28 years of marriage caused the music in Cathy’s life to die for a while but she plunged forward, returning to school to upgrade her skills and set out to find her own career. Currently she works as a Volunteer Coordinator for Align Hospice and finds great joy in working with people who are at the end of life. She has the opportunity of working with some very remarkable people who serve as volunteers and working with Service Learning students from a couple of universities. With the strong support of her children, Cathy has found a life filled with meaning, music and service.

Cathy currently resides in Meridian, ID. She has 7 children and 22 grandchildren who are the light and joy of her life.