Jens Carstensen

Jens Peter Carstensen was born June 8, 1950, the son of Friedrich and Elsie Petersen Schroeder Carstensen. He died Friday, January 22, 2010, at the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of fifty-nine.
Jens was born in Ida Grove, Iowa. He was baptized in Christ at home, July 16, 1950, and confirmed April 11, 1965, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig, Iowa, by Rev. Wiese. He received his education from the Schleswig Community Schools, graduating from high school with the class of 1968. After high school, he farmed with his dad for a while before continuing his education at Western Iowa Tech where he received training that began a career as an orderly at St. Lukes Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. While at St. Lukes Hospital, he expanded his career into the Physical Therapy Department. His career spanned 20 years of service to the health care community and the people in need of his assistance. In 1989, his devotion to caring for patients surpassed his job description and earned him the "Employee of the Month in the Physical Therapy Department." A retirement party hosted by St. Lukes Hospital honoring his 20 years of service to the community was attended by many of the staff and past patients along with his family. During his tenure, he formed many friendships and spoke highly of the time he worked at St. Lukes.
Jens returned to his family farm where he lived while working part-time in various nursing homes. He move to Schleswig in 2004. In the following years, he enjoyed working for a Magic Show, traveling around the country with tickets and helping out with the show. He enjoyed meeting people and joking with them. He occupied much of his free time traveling around, making new friends and keeping in touch with them.
He enjoyed sending in birthday polka requests for family and friends on the radio. He was always willing to help out his neighbors and enjoyed socializing with his many friends. He found ways to make people smile and enjoyed sharing family history, especially his German heritage, and memories and reminiscing as he looked through old pictures. He was proud of his nieces and nephews and loved them very much. He always made a point of making them feel special. "Uncle Jens" was a special person to his family, and he enjoyed being around all his little great-nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, his parents, brother Wayne Schroeder, and a special cousin Joyce Petersen. Survivors include his sister, Janice Nemitz and her husband, Dave of Denison; one sister-in-law, Carolyn Schroeder of Ida Grove; nine nieces and nephews and their spouses, thirteen great-nieces and nephews; and a host of family and friends.