Malcolm Curt Jensen

JENSEN, Malcolm Curt

It is with heartfelt sadness we announce the sudden passing of Malcolm Curt Jensen at the age of 68 in the ICU at the Foothills Hospital. He leaves behind his wife of 48 years Maxine, son Bryce (Julie) grandsons Izaac and Quade, and son Lance (Amber) and grandchildren Gabe, Rory, Nash and Bently. Also remembering him are his brother Greg (Judy) Jensen, sister Alison (Russ) Gutherie, brother Ken (Phyllis) Jensen, sister of his heart Andrea Hettinger, numerous nieces and nephews, Uncle Bill (Kristen) Wallace, Uncle Larry High, brother-in-laws Wayne (Brenda) Cartwright, Ralph Cartwright and Lloyd Turner; and numerous cousins and many friends.

Curt was born on October 1, 1953 the oldest son to Marion and Ken Jensen and the first grandson on both sides. They lived on a farm on the 2A going into Crossfield. When he was three his parents bought and moved to the present day farm. Growing up he belonged to horse 4- H, raised geese and pail bunters, attended the Madden United Church and generally enjoyed living on the farm. He completed his schooling in Carstairs. After high school he drove the truck at the Carstairs Creamery until entering Olds College to take Agricultural Mechanics. From there he moved to Calgary and worked for a carpenter and drove delivery truck (in the winter). During this time he and Maxine were married in October of 1973. They lived in Calgary for 2 more years and then returned home for Curt to farm full time. To Curt’s great delight two sons, Bryce and Lance, joined the couple in 1979 and 1980. Over the years the farm kept him and his dad and later his sons busy with a variety of enterprises from grain farming, turkeys, 60 farrow to finish hogs, 250 head of cattle and finishing calves, and then 1000 foxes and export hay. Over the years there have also been a few horses but mostly he considered them hay burners.” Although he did enjoy riding up at the cattle lease in Bearberry. As they were loading one horse he bought at the auction market the gate keeper told him it was pretty long in the tooth and he should call it Gerry. When he got it home he realized it was older than he had anticipated and only lasted a week. The hired man took it for a ride and it didn’t make it back (Gerry was short for geriatric it turned out.) After that the mode of transportation was a quad or Gobba as the grandkids call it. 

In 2007 Amber and then in 2008 Julie joined the family and then 2009 brought the start of the grandkids. 

Things that Curt loved were his family, friends, farming, television, his notebook and coffee (Not necessarily in that order). It is yet to be discovered if it was coffee or his interaction with the Coffee Crowd which induced him to get up most mornings at 5:30, drive eleven miles, sit outside in the frigid weather (during Covid) and drink coffee with his friends. 

Curt was raised on a farm, and when he wasn’t working on the farm he was talking farming because he enjoyed it. There was lots of pros with the cons – first green shoots of crop or grass out of the ground, new little piglets and the first baby calf in the spring. Amazingly he knew all of his cows and their numbers but he stopped short of naming them.

He was interested in current events, particularly politics, history, music documentaries and of course what comes with being a farmer – the weather.  He was thoughtful and a good listener. He liked picking berries and Saskatoon pie was a favourite. Curt enjoyed watching the kids and then the grandkids play hockey. This became a good portion of Maxine and Curt’s social life and they made some good friends. 

He was glad that Rory could sing and he had told her parents if she wasn’t good don’t let her continue. Curt could be quiet and stubborn but also inquisitive and didn’t hesitate to ask questions about things that interested him.  He had a quirky sense of humor sometimes that often surprized people but you also had to know him well. One of the things the kids mention is Curt’s laugh and his unexpected wit. 

He enjoyed the holidays he took. He discovered the Golden Corral  on one trip with Bob and Celiena. He was amazed by that restaurant. Cruising the Hawaiian Islands and a Panama cruise were among some of his best memories. Being a smoker he met lots of people to talk to in the banished areas of the ships.  Holidays in Fairmont with Wayne and Brenda were always fun. He liked sitting in the hot tub, golfing, watching the boys ski/snowboard and touring around.

Most of his life Curt was a healthy man. He rarely saw a doctor except for the time he moved an auger and ruptured a muscle in his back. He ended up in the hospital for a week. He said that when the ambulance took him it felt look they drove the scenic route. Lately after being diagnosed with COPD he started to slow down and turned the farm over to the boys and his routine became- auction market on Tuesdays, coffee in the morning with the guys, visiting the neighbors and also offering his expertise to his sons, driving around on his quad or car and getting in the way. The boys wonder how they are ever going to get anything done without his unsolicited advice!

We will all miss him a lot. 

At Curt’s request there will be no funeral but the family is having an “Afternoon of Remembrance” on July 23 for family and friends at the family farm.