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Dr Neal Frederick Jensen

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Dr Neal Frederick Jensen

Birth	:	4 Oct 1915 Hazen, Mercer County, North Dakota, USA
Death	:	24 Nov 2003 Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA
Burial	:	Hazen Cemetery, Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate	:	47.3095169, -101.6273575
Description	:	NEAL FREDERICK JENSEN ALBUQUERQUE - Neal Frederick Jensen, 88, passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 24, 2003, following a short illness.Dr. Jensen was born October 4, 1915, in Hazen, North Dakota to Nels P. and Sophie Frederickson Jensen, homesteading ranchers of the Red Butte area. He attended the Red Butte grade school and Hazen High School. In 1939 he graduated from North Dakota Agricultural College with a B.S. degree in Agronomy. In 1943 he received the Ph.D. degree from The Graduate School of Cornell University. Dr. Jensen joined the U.S. Navy as an Ensign in October, 1942. He participated... Read More	NEAL FREDERICK JENSEN ALBUQUERQUE - Neal Frederick Jensen, 88, passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 24, 2003, following a short illness.Dr. Jensen was born October 4, 1915, in Hazen, North Dakota to Nels P. and Sophie Frederickson Jensen, homesteading ranchers of the Red Butte area. He attended the Red Butte grade school and Hazen High School. In 1939 he graduated from North Dakota Agricultural College with a B.S. degree in Agronomy. In 1943 he received the Ph.D. degree from The Graduate School of Cornell University. Dr. Jensen joined the U.S. Navy as an Ensign in October, 1942. He participated in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions in the Intelligence Section of Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner on board the USS Eldorado. He served three and one half years on active duty in the Navy and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1963 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.On June 22, 1946, in Washington, D.C., he married Mary Willard Webb of Nashville, Tennessee. They moved to Ithaca, New York, where Dr. Jensen was Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Breeding and Biometry of Cornell University, and raised a family of four children. Dr. Jensen conducted research and taught at Cornell University for 32 years, was named Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Plant Breeding, and upon retirement in 1978 was granted Emeritus status.After retirement, the Jensens lived in Arizona until 1984, when they moved to Albuquerque. Dr. Jensen lived a full and productive life. He was known world-wide for his work in plant breeding and wrote numerous articles and a major textbook on the subject. Privately, he devoted time to growing new varieties of peonies. In retirement, Dr. Jensen was working on a number of western-themed stories and his memoirs of WWII and Cornell University. He was also an artist and completed many paintings and three-dimensional works. Recreationally, he kept active with gold panning and coin hunting. He is greatly missed by his family and many friends.Dr. Jensen is survived by three children: Barbara L. Jensen, of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Lawrence W. Jensen, wife, Rebecca, and granddaughters Elizabeth & Katherine, of Peacham, Vermont; and Thomas F. Jensen, of Archer, Florida. He was also survived by his five brothers, Raymond, Forrest, Orrie and David Jensen of North Dakota and Warren Jensen of Minnesota, andhis sister, Grace Benz of New Mexico, as well as their spouses and numerous nieces and nephews. Dr. Jensen was predeceased by Mary, his wife of 57 years; a daughter, Margaret N. Jensen; his brother, John Jensen; and two brothers, Kenneth & Curtis Jensen, who died as infants. Published in the Ithaca Journal on Dec. 27, 2003 ___________________________________________________________ Neal Frederick Jensen October 4, 1915 — November 24, 2003 Neal Frederick Jensen, Professor of Plant Breeding, Emeritus, died on November 24, 2003 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Neal obtained his Ph.D. degree at Cornell in Plant Breeding in 1943. He returned to the department as a faculty member in 1946 and until his retirement in 1978, he was responsible for the breeding of small grain varieties, primarily wheat and oats. The products of his research were significant to northeast farmers and his ideas and skills in breeding small grains were recognized by his peers nationally and internationally and were evident in the graduate students who obtained their degrees under his guidance. Neal was born in Hazen, North Dakota on October 4, 1915, one of eight children. His family lived on a ranch in the Red Butte area where he attended grade school. He went to high school in Hazen. Following his graduation from North Dakota Agricultural College in 1939 with a B.S. degree in Agronomy, he came to Cornell for his graduate studies with Dr. H.H. Love. He was awarded his Ph.D. degree in 1943, after he had entered the U.S. Navy as an Ensign in October 1942. After serving three and one half years on active duty, mostly in the Pacific, he continued in the Reserves and retired in 1963 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Neal rejoined the Department of Plant Breeding in 1946 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1948 and to Professor in 1951. He retired and was granted Emeritus status in 1978. In his 33 years of tenure on the faculty, Neal distinguished himself by the 22 varieties of wheat, oats, and barley he developed, the 20 graduate students who obtained their degrees with him, and the extensive writing he did on specifics of cereal breeding and the broad areas of plant breeding methodology. For his contributions, in 1978 he was selected for one of the first Liberty Hyde Bailey professorships in the college. In addition, he was the first recipient of the DeKalb Crop Science Distinguished Career Awards awarded by the Crop Science Society of America. Neal Jensen was an original thinker who was widely known among scientists for his innovative breeding methods. Probably his best-known contribution was the concept of intravarietal diversification, which led to multiline varieties. Multiline varieties were found to be effective in reducing losses due to foliar pathogens, buffering against environmental extremes and increasing grain yield. Other significant contributions include various breeding methods and techniques, extension education, and graduate teaching. New York farmers and consumers also benefited from Neal’s research. His breeding programs produced a steady flow of superior cereal grain varieties for farmers in New York and surrounding regions. New York farmers liked Neal’s varieties. For nearly two decades, they planted them on over 95% of their wheat and barley acreage and 70% of their oat acreage. Such wide acceptance of a breeders’ developments is rare. His wheat variety, Yorkstar, was the leading variety in New York, Michigan and Eastern Canada for nearly a decade. Neal’s varieties were noted for high yields and strong disease resistance. They returned millions of dollars to New York farmers and to the state’s agricultural economy. In addition to his dedication to small grains breeding, Neal had a lifelong interest in baseball, which was common with several other members of the department at that time. He also applied his plant breeding skills to the creation of new peony varieties. He developed a strong interest in Civil War hstory, spending much time searching for artifacts in farm fields adjacent to important Civil War battlefields. After his retirement, Neal and his wife, Mary, moved to Arizona where he took on many new interests including painting and searching for gold. His penchant for writing led him to write a textbook of plant breeding methods and a memoir of his experiences during World War II. In 1984, the Jensens moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the close of the war in 1946, Neal married Mary Willard Webb of Nashville, Tennessee. They had four children: Barbara, Lawrence, Margaret, and Thomas. Mary taught fourth grade at Belle Sherman School for many years. She died just five months before Neal. -Ronnie Coffman, Mark Sorrells, Robert Plaisted Cornell University Faculty Memorial Statement Thanks to contributor Karen Griswold Stroh (#47133098) for her help in creating this memorial.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Dr Neal Frederick Jensen's memorial?
Dr Neal Frederick Jensen's memorial is located at: Hazen Cemetery, Hazen, Mercer County, USA.
When did Dr Neal Frederick Jensen death?
Dr Neal Frederick Jensen death on 24 Nov 2003 in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Dr Neal Frederick Jensen's memorial?
Latitude: 47.3095169
Longitude: -101.6273575

Family Members:

Parent

Nels Peter Jensen

(1879 - 1948)

Sophia Frederickson Jensen

(1884 - 1958)

Spouse

Mary Willard Webb Jensen

(1923 - 2003)

Siblings

(1911 - 2005)

(1913 - 2005)

(1917 - 1999)

(1920 - 2016)

Curtis Lawrence Jensen

(1922 - 1922)

Kenneth Marlow Jensen

(1925 - 1926)

Children

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Martins Cemetery
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3107986, -101.6278000

2. Saint Matthew's Cemetery
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3108130, -101.6283950

3. Peace Lutheran Cemetery
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3125400, -101.6287100

4. Cambridge Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2994003, -101.5588989

5. Goetz Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3788986, -101.6093979

6. Wolfe Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3711014, -101.6967010

7. Peace Lutheran Church Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3862270, -101.5895330

8. Saint Jacobs Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3866997, -101.5888977

9. Saint James Lutheran Krem Cemetery
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3901510, -101.5913430

10. Link Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3875008, -101.6939011

11. Zaron Cemetery
Beulah, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3344100, -101.7596200

12. Erastus H. Deatsman Burial Site
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.4040360, -101.6094790

13. Bethel Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3861008, -101.7166977

14. Nisbet Cemetery
Oliver County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2139015, -101.5744019

15. Beulah City Cemetery
Beulah, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2695000, -101.7688000

16. Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery
Beulah, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2688670, -101.7689180

17. Saint Josephs Catholic Cemetery
Beulah, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2660220, -101.7767570

18. Boeckel Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3436012, -101.7960968

19. Red Butte Cemetery
Oliver County, USA
Coordinate: 47.1974983, -101.5524979

20. Our Saviors Lutheran Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.3705130, -101.4413600

21. Rose Hill Cemetery
Beulah, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.2127991, -101.7842026

22. Saint Pauls Cemetery
Pick City, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.4280510, -101.4984055

23. Wiedrich Cemetery
Hazen, Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.4630630, -101.6861560

24. Saint Peter Cemetery
Mercer County, USA
Coordinate: 47.4731700, -101.6206100