Jens, Marcia Jorgensen note 50 years

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Some 60 people gathered Aug. 21 to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Jens and Marcia Jorgensen of Battle Ground.

Jens Jorgensen and Marcia Jeffrey met when both were living in the same apartment house in Vancouver. They were married Aug. 19, 1961, and lived in Vancouver for about 12 years before moving to their tree farm near Battle Ground.

Jens was born in the United States but moved with his family to Norway at age 18 months. He returned to the United States at age 24 and joined the Army. He could not speak English at the time and did not understand that he had signed up for paratrooper duty when enlisting. He expressed no regrets and said he enjoyed the Army and found it to be educational. He was stationed in North Carolina and in Germany. He spent three years in the Army and four years in the Army reserves.

At age 27, Jens moved to Denmark to operate a family farm. He then moved to Kennewick where he worked one year for a building supply company. He spent the next year in Vancouver working for the Pepsi Cola/Corwin Bottling Company. For three years he worked building houses. Marcia taught elementary school. She also worked 13 years for the IRS.

Jens then worked for the Fort Vancouver Plywood Company for eight years, followed by 15 years with Lucky Lager Brewing Company, working there until the plant closed.



In retirement, Jens, 80, and Marcia Jorgensen, 75, continue to operate their timber farm north of Battle Ground and are members of the Clark County Farm Forestry Association. They have traveled to Mexico 15 times, staying there as much as three months at a time. Jens taught himself to speak Spanish. They also enjoy traveling to Hawaii.

The Jorgensens have two daughters, Christa (Ron) Rogers of Ocean Shores and Kari (David) Ashcraft of Ravensdale, plus five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.