Arlean Margaret (Meier) Jensen

Arlean Margaret Meier Jensen who was born in Elgin, IL to Heinrich Wilhelm Meier and Catherine Margaret Raab Meier on May 22, 1913. Her family had immigrated from Germany in the mid 1800's and settled in the small town of Elgin, outside of Chicago. She lost both of her parents at a young age.

She met Alden Jensen, who was the head mechanic for Studebaker, through some friends at a party. He asked her on a date and they went out dancing. They married on May 26, 1934 and continued to dance through life together as husband and wife until Al passed away in 1985. They raised two daughters together. Barbara Engquist who resides in Lincoln, CA and Sara Mooneyhan who lives in Winter Springs, FL.

Arlean lived through Prohibition and the jazz revolution of the 1930's. She enjoyed visiting the night clubs and dancing to the big band sounds. She once said with enthusiasm, “I just love a good margarita when hitting a night on the town. We danced in beautiful ballrooms.”

Throughout the years, Arlean worked in retail, a shoe store, for a doctor and eventually working as the treasurer at the local high school in Elgin. Arlean and Al moved from Illinois to California in the mid 1960s where they had many friends and a very active social life. At the age of 89, she applied and was accepted as a volunteer at the Roseville Hospice thrift store where she volunteered until she was 101 years young.

Arlean was a delight to spend time with. Her blue eyes always twinkled as she shared one of her many adventures. She still loved to dance, even after becoming a centenarian. She was always full of life.

Arlean passed quietly on July 20, 2017. She is now dancing again with her lifelong partner, Alden. She will always be missed by her family and friends. She touched many lives in her 104 years here on earth.

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