Visitation for Ralph Jensen, 71, of Marshall, will start at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the Horvath Remembrance Center in Marshall, with sharing of memories at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the Marshall Community Cemetery. The Horvath Funeral Service in Marshall is handling the arrangements.
Ralph Robert Jensen was born on July 18, 1952, in Tyler, to Harvey and Vivian (Klinker) Jensen. He had four siblings, Richard, Diana, Dorothy, and Donna. Ralph was placed in several institutional settings from a young age. In January 1988, Ralph finally found a long-term home at REM Southwest Services in Marshall where he was cared for by many over the years until his passing. When he moved to Marshall he also started attending the Lyon County DAC, now known as Advance! Through the years he participated in simple work tasks in assembling, bulk mailing, can crushing, cleaning, and shredding. Ralph was a quiet man who mostly kept to himself. On rare occasions, he would initiate a hug for those who cared for him. He enjoyed being outside on nice days, playing a game of catch, could occasionally be heard humming a tune (especially around the holidays), carrying around his new virtual pet dog, and taking occasional naps. Perhaps his very favorite thing to do was to keep moving; he was rarely sitting still while awake and loved to walk any time of the day (even during mealtime).
Ralph died on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at his residence in Marshall. He is survived by his housemates and caregivers, and he was preceded in death by his parents.