Barton F. Jensen Obituary

Dr. Barton Foster Jensen, 73, longtime Rexburg resident, died Sunday, September 5, 2010 at his home.

Barton was born March 31, 1937 in Castle Dale, Utah to Foster Ray Jensen and Nina Barton. His family moved to Sunnyside, Utah when he was seven. He graduated from Carbon High School in Price Utah. He attended Utah State University and moved to Forest Grove, Oregon to attend Pacific University and its College of Optometry.

On August 14, 1959, he married Carol Loosli in the Idaho Falls Temple.

Barton graduated with a B.S. and Doctorate of Optometry from Pacific University.

He began his optometry practice in Rexburg in 1962, starting the Rexburg Vision Center, where he practiced optometry for over two decades. During his professional career, he was elected as president of the Idaho Optometric Association, serving from 1972-73. He was appointed by Gov. Cecil D. Andrus to the Idaho State Board of Optometry to serve from 1973 to 1978 and also served on the Idaho State Board of Examiners and on the Board of Directors for the Idaho Optometric Association.

Barton served for three terms on the Rexburg City Council from 1968 to 1980. He was an active member of the service organization Kiwanis International, serving as president of the Rexburg club in the late 1960s. During 1978-1979 he served as lieutenant governor of District IV of the Utah-Idaho district of Kiwanis International..

He enjoyed sports of all kinds—as a participant and spectator. Barton especially loved skiing and was fondly remembered by family and friends for his graceful downhill form. He was a member of the initial board of directors of the Grand Targhee Ski Resort. Barton was also an active supporter of the Ricks College Athletics department, donating time and resources to the booster club, becoming a Century Club member and serving as an officer. In 1983 he served as president of the booster club. He was also an avid BYU football fan.

Barton was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he served in many leadership callings, including bishop of the Rexburg Tenth Ward. Regardless of his calling, he always enjoyed reaching out to befriend and serve those around him. He served as a missionary with his wife Carol in the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission from 2003 to 2004.

He is survived by his wife Carol, six children Garth (Lisa) Jensen of Denver, Arnold Jensen of Salt Lake City, Corinne (Brian) Lloyd of Salt Lake City, Camille (Travis) Haws of Denver, Mitch (Trish) Jensen of St. Louis and Brett (Mindy) Jensen of Rexburg, 18 grandchildren, and two sisters Anne Kelley of Draper Utah and Linda (Kent) Daley of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Rexburg Tenth Ward, Rexburg East Stake Center (387 South Fourth East). A viewing will be held Friday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg and again Saturday at 10 a.m. at the church. He will be interred at the Pineview cemetery in Ashton Idaho.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018.