Wanda Jensen

Wanda Lee Cecelia Doyle Jensen, 86, of Kankakee, died Tuesday (Feb. 4, 2014) at Presence St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Clifton. The Rev. Michael Powell will officiate. Burial will be in Clifton Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Peter's Catholic Church. She was born Dec. 10, 1927, in Clifton, the daughter of Charles Wesley "Pat" and Aldaha Marie Doyle. Her mother was a teacher and Wanda learned to read at home at a very early age. This gave her a head start so that when she started school she was able to skip several grades and graduate from high school when she was 14. She then attended the University of Illinois at Champaign, where she earned a bachelor's degree when she was only 19 years old. After graduation, she worked in Waukegan for Catholic Charities as an adoption agent. She enjoyed helping people so much that her supervisor suggested that she go back to graduate school to be a social worker. So, she returned to the University of Illinois to get a master's degree in social work. She began her career as a school social worker in Joliet. Later, she worked as a school social worker with the Special Education Coop in Kankakee, where she often traveled to more than seven schools. She ended her career working as a school social worker in the Bradley schools. She also worked for a time as a counselor for the Mental Health Department in Kankakee. She dearly loved and was devoted to all of her students and the staff as well. She was a member and past officer in the Kankakee Retired Teachers. She loved the outdoors, especially the river and her beloved family spot at Timberlawn in Iroquois County. She married the love of her life, Henry Robert Jensen July 18, 1953, at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Clifton. They were married for nearly 53 years when Henry passed away in 2006. They leave behind their children, Kathleen Jensen, of Harristown and Kankakee, Brenda Jensen, of St. Louis, and Alan Jensen, of Kankakee. They also have three grandchildren, Dean Aikens, of St. Louis, Brian Jensen and Kyle Jensen, both of Kankakee. Wanda also leaves behind her brother, Wayne Doyle, of Bourbonnais; and 11 nieces and nephews.

Wanda Jensen

December 10, 1927 - February 4, 2014