Mary T Jensen

Mary Therese Pepper Jensen
March 12, 1929 – July 21, 2021

As on a tombstone, it’s not easy to elaborate on the dash between the dates in a way that honors the heart of a dearly departed loved one. In Mary Therese’s case, her ninety-two years of living and loving will emerge more clearly as others contribute their stories and memories in the condolences section above.
Mary lived a simple life. She had no great travels, no unusual hobbies, or exceptional interests. What is unique about her legacy, to those who know Mary well, is her down-to-earth philosophy, tinged with great insight and pragmatic humor. Her views on human psychology are pearled within her favorite stories, scribbled on scraps of papers, written inside book covers, and filed away in a folder labeled “things to share.” Generously sharing whatever she had was one of Mary’s best qualities.

To begin with, Mary Therese Pepper decided to join this world in the middle of such a howling snowstorm that Dr. Healy could not make it out to the farm for her birth. A snowplow was called in, and Ray Pepper and Ethel (McGlynn) Pepper followed it to the Boone County Hospital, where Mary, the seventh of their thirteen children, was born.

The stories of life with Mary’s parents and siblings, and the many cousins and kids that came to the farm for a visit and then “just stayed,” are spiced with humor and poetry, Irish songs and loud piano playing as a pot of bubbling something or other overflowed onto the stove. Walking hand in hand in the timber with her dad; strolling to get ice cream with her Grandma McGlynn, who was always dressed to the nines, her high heels click-clacking on the sidewalk, and laughing with childhood delight at simply crossing a lawn from one set of grandparents to the other – these are fond and treasured memories for those of us who have heard the stories.

Mary told anyone who would listen that her pride in getting a sound education was mostly due to her father. Although Ray Pepper, she explained, had never gone to high school, he insisted that all of his daughters attend college. Each daughter, he said, had to be able to support herself, if necessary. All of his daughters did go to college, and some of them had to earn their keep, including Mary Therese.

Mary began her post-high school studies at Ottumwa Heights College, where she was elected president of her class. Mary fulfilled the requirements for a teaching certificate at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, where she was a prom queen candidate and voted “future teacher most likely to succeed.” Degree in hand, Mary was the last teacher at the Mackey School, a now-historic one-room schoolhouse located in Boone County.

She was on her second teaching assignment, at the Gilbert (Iowa) Community School, when she became engaged to a boy who lived a stone’s throw away. On June 7, 1952, Mary Pepper married Richard Jensen of Ames. Ten months later, she left teaching for a while, to care for what would be a rapidly expanding family of six children, born in just seven years. These six children industriously, but more slowly, brought twelve grandchildren into Mary’s life. Not to be outdone, Mary’s grandchildren shared life’s joy by blessing her with sixteen great-grandchildren to love.

Mary was a hard worker, a much-admired quality she had in abundance. When Richard and Mary divorced in 1965, Mary’s work ethic determined her next move – she went back to teaching. Her first chance came when her son Brad’s class at Visitation Catholic School in Des Moines needed a long-term substitute. Mary got the job, in part because she could play the piano.

The following year Mary was contracted by All Saints Catholic School in Des Moines, a move that brought her loyal friend Father Edward Hurley into our lives. When she needed to go back to school to renew her teaching certificate, she enrolled at Drake University, working during the day to pay her tuition and studying at night, all the while doing her best to provide for the kids she still had at home.

Surrendering to the aging process, Mary decided there had to be an easier way to earn an income than teaching 25 kids in a small classroom. And she was right. But she was also wrong.

In the evenings, Mary enjoyed the company of Laurie Bennett and Collette Krisher, who boarded with her. But during her days Mary did not have a moment to spare, since she had opened a home daycare, filled with the children of many of her former students. The daycare was successful but had a tremendous amount of work. In 1987, Mary decided to lessen her workload by accepting a position as nanny to Ali McRoberts, daughter of Susan Vujnovich and John McRoberts. Turns out, in this fashion Mary gained a de facto grandchild and very loving daughter, to boot.

The family takes this moment to thank both Susan and Collette for their faithful acts of love and affection, which helped cushion the inevitable narrowing of Mary’s life as, slowly but surely, family members and loving friends walked into what we call death. On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at 11:33 in the morning, Mary joined them.

Mary Therese Pepper Jensen, daughter of two, sister of twelve, mother of six, grandmother of twelve, great-grandmother of sixteen, and aunt and friend to too many others to count, is tenderly held in innumerable loving hearts; each, in their own particular way, is now helping Mary on this important part of her life’s journey.

The family thanks Westhaven Community in Boone for their care of our mother over the past two years, and, in addition, for providing such a respectful, kind and loving environment for Mary’s passing. Thank you from the bottom of our bruised hearts...

Please join us as we celebrate Mary’s life and times on Sunday, September 26, at Saint Peter and Paul Church, near Gilbert Iowa. (Address: 14238 500th Ave, Ames). Beginning at ll:30, there will be coffee and juice, a few Covid-conscious snacks, and much conversation to be had. Mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., followed by a Rite of Committal held just down the road at the St. Peter and Paul cemetery - on land which, not so very long ago, was donated to the parish by her parents, Ray (son of Frank and Mary Diggens) Pepper, and Ethel (McGlynn) Pepper.

To those wishing to express their sympathy by donating to a charity in remembrance of Mary, the family asks that you please consider an option close to her heart: the Aaron Schaffer Jensen Family Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to help others transform and transcend the debilitating pain and suffering of grief.

Aaron Schaffer Jensen Family Foundation
www.mission7255.net
1313 Wright Road #17
Norwalk, Iowa 50211

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