Lawrence Jensen

Lawrence Jensen, age 91 of Decorah, Iowa (formerly of New Hampton), passed away Thursday, January 22, 2026, at The Highlands (Aase Haugen) in Decorah, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at United Methodist Church, 302 W. Broadway St., Decorah, Iowa, with Rev. Cat Stokes presiding.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Helms Funeral Homes, 306 E. Water Street, Decorah, Iowa 52101. There will be no visitation before the church service on Saturday.

Lawrence was born at home on his family’s farm near Humboldt, Iowa, on July 5, 1934. He grew up working on the farm with his parents, Fred and Ella Jensen, and two brothers, Richard and Allen. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1952 and enrolled at Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in agricultural education in 1956.

In August 1957, Lawrence married Mildred Hartbeck at a country church near Colesburg, Iowa. Lawrence and Millie shared 67 years of marriage together until her death in November 2024. Together, they raised three sons and found great joy in their family time together.

Upon graduation from ISU in 1956, he began a teaching career that spanned six decades. While his first teaching position was in vocational agriculture, the need for a high school chemistry teacher started a pivot to science teaching. After a year of seminary and two years in the Army, he resumed teaching science at Calamus High School.  The bulk of his 34 years of high school teaching were at New Hampton High School, where he taught Chemistry and Physics, as well as Electricity and Electronics.

Since Lawrence was a true lifelong learner and science was not his original training, he spent numerous summers in university classrooms and labs to further his own education. In 1967, he earned a Master’s in Chemistry at the University of Northern Iowa.

He was a dedicated teacher who shared his natural curiosity and personal desire to understand the way the world works with his students. “Mr. Jensen” had a gift for inspiring even reluctant teenagers to learn chemistry, to ask the “why” questions that drive science, and to realize that they could do academic work that extended beyond their own expectations. Numerous graduates have described him as their favorite teacher, and he took great pride in encountering former students in the community.

Upon retirement from high school teaching in 1994, Lawrence took a job in the Chemistry Department at Luther College. At Luther, he taught introductory chemistry labs, fixed equipment, and assisted the department in numerous ways. He loved being part of the Luther community, having colleagues to talk with, and sharing his love for science with a new group of students. Lawrence and Millie wintered in Decorah for many years before permanently relocating in 2016.

Lawrence loved his vegetable garden, strawberry and raspberry beds, and experimenting with growing prairie plants and woodland wildflowers on the edges of his garden. He was a lifelong United Methodist and a member of both First United Methodist Church in New Hampton and the Decorah United Methodist Church. He volunteered for many community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Volunteers in Mission (VIM).

Lawrence is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Richard and Allen, and his wife, Millie. He is survived by three sons: Chris (Sheral) of Iowa City, Eric (Julie) of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Jon (Rachel) of Decorah, as well as eight grandchildren: Isaac, Joshua, Alex, Mara, Annika, Tim, Sylvia, and Lily.