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Marcus Jensen

Marcus Jensen Marcus Jensen was born in 1908 in Westhope, North Dakota to Fred Jensen and Neva Stephens. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and having heard stories of his grandfather's and uncles' success in the Nome gold rush he came to Juneau, Alaska in 1929 at the age of 19. He worked briefly in the Alaska-Juneau mine and then became a surveyor for the Public Roads Administration. He married Mamie Feusi in 1933, and joined her in helping to run the family's general store in Douglas, Alaska. It eventually became Jensen Grocery. Marcus was active in community affairs, serving as fire chief in 1938; on the Douglas City Council in 1935, 1937, 1951-55; and as mayor 1945-47 and 1961-64. He was elected to the territorial House of Representatives in 1949 and served until 1951; then served in the Senate from 1953 to 1957; and the state House from 1961 to 1963. In the late 1940s, Marcus became a big game guide and continued guiding into his 70s. In 1973, he was appointed the first chairman of the new Guide Licensing and Control Board, which shaped the development of the guiding industry in Alaska. Marcus was a member of numerous civic organizations, such as the Masons, Moose, Elks, Sons of the American Revolution, Pioneers of Alaska, Chamber of Commerce, and the Alaska Professional Hunters Association. In 1998, he published his life story, "One Thing After Another: Adventures in Alaska." Marcus passed away in 2001 at the age of 92, a few weeks after the death of his wife, Mamie Jensen. For more about Marcus Jensen, see his obituary in the Juneau Empire newspaper.
Date of Birth:
Aug 8, 1908
Date of Death:
Feb 6, 2001
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