SDGMJensenL
LEONEL M. JENSEN 1904-2002
Grand Master of South Dakota, 1956-1957
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BIOGRAPHY
From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 185:
Leonel M. Jensen was born at Viborg Turner County, South Dakota, on March 10, 1904. He graduated from the grades and high school in Viborg. He then attended the University of South Dakota at Vermillion.
On February 11, 1946, he was married to Miss Murman Evelyn Sandage at Henderson, Kentucky. They have two children, Paul and Mary. He is a member of the Methodist Church.
Brother Jensen has been a cowboy, miner banker and rancher. His business activity has centered around Wall, South Dakota, in the western part of the State.
He was made a Master Mason in Crescent Lodge No. 210, Wall, on May 28, 1931. He is a member of Black Hills Consistory at Deadwood, Black Hills Chapter Royal Arch Masons No. 25, Rapid City, Black Hills Council No.3 at Lead, and Schrader Commandery No. 9 at Rapid City.
1957
The eighty-third Annual Communication was held at Rapid City in 1957. Twenty-one distinguished guests were present as Grand Master Jensen opened the Meeting.
Deploring the growing practice in some lodges of allowing smoking during degree work or business sessions, the same condition that had been called to the attention of the Grand Lodge back in 1896, the Grand Master asked for a by-law to prohibit such practice. The Jurisprudence Committee approved the recommendation and proposed that the District Masters discuss the proposal with the lodges in their districts and report at the next Annual Communication.
Grand Master Jensen said, "We chose as our major program, Masonic Education, with the understanding that all Grand Lodge officers would during the year stress the importance of constituent lodge officers becoming familiar with the by-laws of their own lodge and of the Grand Lodge."
During the year there were seven lodges that had celebrated their seventy-fifth birthdays. These lodges were at Milbank, Rapid City, Parker, Arlington, Brookings, Central City, and Lennox.
The cornerstone had been laid and the Temple had been dedicated at Wall, South Dakota.
On March 1 and 2, 1957, Grand Master Jensen had represented South Dakota Masonry at the 200th Anniversary of the Grand East of e Netherlands. During the same trip he had visited and attended lodge in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Two Past Grand Masters, Theodore N. Engdahl, Sr., and John K. Kutnewsky, were among the 389 members who had been summoned during the year.
