Lagreta Jensby

February 16, 2023

Lagreta Arlene Jensby was born Dec. 24, 1932, to Joe and Verna Dawson in Fairbury, Nebraska. She loved her older sister, Barbara, and her younger sister, Joletta. She attended school in Fairbury, graduating in 1950 and remaining friends with many of her classmates throughout the years. Growing up, Lagreta had a newspaper route and later progressed to jobs at an ice cream shop, Lester Jones Studio, and the Elgin Watch Factory.

She met Roy Leon Jensby when he came to Fairbury for college. They married on Feb. 22, 1953. All three Dawson sisters married the same year. The Jensbys made their home near Webber, Kansas, for many years, raising four children, Larry, Nancy, Gwen and Linda. "Grete" as she was known, was an active part of the community, involved in the EUB Church at Republic, the Webber Wide Awake 4H Club, Jewell County Republican Women and a loyal fan at all the family activities. She raised a nice garden, canned her produce, and was a talented seamstress.

They moved to Belleville, Kansas, in 1979, where she worked in the nursing home for a couple of years. From there they moved and settled in Ellinwood, Kan. During these years, Grete enjoyed the Red Hat Club and worked at the nursing home, where she totally enjoyed the residents, and kept them entertained. She was known to wear costumes and parade her little Boston terrier through the facility, bringing many smiles. Phasing out of that job, into retirement, she worked at the local post office, doing cleaning jobs.

Because of failing health, Roy and Lagreta moved out of their beloved Ellinwood home, first to Hays, Kansas, for a short time, and then to the Winings Ranch near Chambers, Nebraska. Grete spent five years, enjoying Antique Club, church activities and country life, before moving with Roy to the Good Samaritan Home in Atkinson. Roy died in July of 2019. Grete then, went through the COVID pandemic and some major health issues at Good Samaritan. She was moved to Parkside Manor in Stuart, Nebraska, in April 2022. Her time at Parkside was special, with loving care and attention. She celebrated her birthday Dec. 24, with family, and passed into Eternal Life at the age of 90, on Feb. 7, 2023.

Lagreta is survived by her son, Larry (Stacey) Jensby of Holstein, Nebraska: daughters, Nancy Winings (Jarrel) of Chambers, Nebraska, Gwen Daughhetee (Greg) of Hays, Kansas, and Linda Jensby of Ponca City, Oklahoma; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; sister, Joletta; and sister-in-law, Donna Meyer.

She was preceded in death by Roy, her husband of 66 years; her parents; her sister and husband, Barbara and Leland Thurin; brother-in-law, Jack Hall; and brother and sister-in-laws, Bob and Dorothy Jensby, Kenneth and Shirley Jensby, and Orville Meyer.

She will be remembered for her work ethic and witty sense of humor, which enriched the world around her.

Her funeral was at 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 13 at the United Methodist Church in Webber, Kansas. Burial was in the Evergreen cemetery at Superior.