Richard Lavar “Digger” Jensen, 85, husband of Barbara Vee Jensen returned to his Heavenly Father on Aug. 4, 2021, in Centerfield.
Dick was born on June 10, 1936 in Ephraim, to Bud and Mabel Jensen. In his early life he was educated at Manti Elementary and Manti High School. Dick always said, “He graduated from the school of Hard Knocks.”
At the age of 15, Dick started working with his dad, digging cesspools by hand, where they dug 20 feet deep by 6 feet wide holes and lined them with rocks. They would haul the dirt out by filling up cut off 50-gallon drum buckets and hoisting them up out of the hole. Then they would send the lining rocks down the hole the same way.
In 1959 they purchased their first backhoe. Now they used machinery to dig and install sewer lines. When Bud passed away in 1988, Dick took over the excavation business and expanded into a larger company with more equipment and extending his areas of expertise. As his boys grew older, Doug and Brent, and grandsons: Derek, Alec, Jett, and Jake, all worked with their dad/grandpa in excavation. Dick was so proud to pass his company onto Brent like his dad, Bud passed it on to him.
When Dick was younger he loved cars, his dogs, fishing and hunting. He married his sweetheart, Barbara Vee Olsen, on Oct. 18, 1957, in Ely, Nevada. They were sealed in the Manti Temple on Feb. 23, 2006. Dick and Barbara made their home in Manti. To this union, there were born two boys and five grandchildren. His posterity includes Douglas Lavar Jensen (Christine), Derek, Alec, and SheaLa; Brent James Jensen (Sonnie), Jett and Jake.
Dick enjoyed the outdoors. His life was digging and enjoying life outside with his family. He loved hunting, fishing, and riding around Manti, just to see what was going on. Dick loved visiting with anyone. There was never a stranger to him. He loved people. Dick enjoyed sharing his life experiences and stories with is grandchildren or anyone else that needed his life lessons.
In his retirement years, Dick enjoyed the many members of the community and family members who would stop by to enjoy his company.
Dick will also be missed by his brother Don Jensen (Linda) and sisters-in-law, Sheila Jensen and Mary Jean Daniels, along with many nieces and nephews.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents; William Lavar (Bud) and Mabel Jensen and his brother Derrel Jensen.
The family would like to thank Dr. Michael Frischknecht and the Manti Clinic, the Manti ambulance team and Sanpete Valley Hospital for an overabundance of compassion and care used in stabilizing Dick to be life flighted to Utah Valley. Thank you also to Gunnison Hospice and Mission at Community Care Center in Centerfield. The family would also like to thank family and friends for their love and support.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021 at 11 a.m. in the Manti Tabernacle, 90 South Main, Manti, Utah.
Burial was in the Manti City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com.
