Mrs. Jensen, 80, died Sunday, March 25 th , 2018 at Madonna Towers.

Karen Bilben was born December 19, 1937, in Walker, Minnesota, the daughter of Clifford and Ardis (Olson) Bilben.  She graduated from Walker High School in 1955 and attended Macalester College in St. Paul.

On June 18, 1958 she married Donald Jensen at the Walker Community Church.  They resided in the Hackensack area, living on Ten Mile Lake for over 50 years.

Karen is survived by her husband of 59 years, Don. Children:  David (Elena) Jensen of Phoenix; Laura (Keith) Tally of Rochester; and Steven (Meika) Jensen of Salt Lake City.  Grandchildren:  Matthew (Jenni) Jensen, Michael Jensen, Megan (Josh) Darras, Elisa Tally, and Heather (Joel) Clark.  Her great grandchildren: Jeremy, Lilith, Alisia and Ashton.  She is survived by her brother Dr. Steven Bilben, her sisters: Dr. Barb Bilben and Elaine Bilben; her sisters- and brothers-in-law Marian Wald, Dorothy Mull, Helen Howe, Jerry and Peggy Jensen, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Karen was a strong and caring woman, who asked to be remembered for her love of Jesus.  She will be remembered for her faith as well as her love and service to her family and friends.  She was a tremendous cook, hostess, listener, and woman of prayer.  She was also a skilled Realtor, working many years alongside her husband. She battled rheumatoid arthritis for 37 years, along with a host of other medical issues.  Through it all she continued to care about others and love Jesus.  Karen will be greatly missed and remembered fondly by her family and friends that loved her so very much.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Ardis Bilben, and in-laws Ernest and Esther Jensen, and Bernice Jensen; her sister Sandra Richardson; her sister-in-law Sharon Bilben; her brothers-in-law Richard Jensen, Edgar Wald and Stanley Howe.

The family would like to thank the great staff at Madonna Towers who provided such exceptional care for Karen for nearly 12 years.

The celebration of life service will be held at Rochester Assembly Church on Thursday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m.  Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the church sanctuary and one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in Hackensack, MN. Another service will be held in the Hackensack-Walker area this summer.