Maria J. Jensen Memorial Scholarship

Our family is proud to announce the creation of the Maria J. Jensen Memorial Scholarship at Waukesha County Technical College. The scholarship honors Maria’s enthusiasm for learning, her dedication to success, and her wish to inspire other women to improve themselves through education, no matter what stage of life they are in.

Women over the age of 35 who have financial need and a GPA of 2.0 will be eligible to receive $250 per semester in direct financial support.

Maria enjoyed her time at WCTC so much. She decided to return to school in her 50s to study accounting because she always loved mathematics and handling our family’s finances and investing. During her time at WCTC, she formed strong relationships with her teachers and mentors and forged friendships with students in her classes, even those many years younger than her. She carried a 4.0 GPA in her classes and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, an achievement we know made her proud for the rest of her life. We have vivid memories of her nights of studying at the dining room table, poring over her notes and textbooks in preparation for her class meetings.

We are grateful to WCTC for the impact it had on Maria’s life and her self-esteem and hope that through this scholarship, we are able to inspire more women to succeed both in education and in the fulfillment of their goals. Thank you for helping us honor her memory and her passion.

To support the scholarship through an online donation, visit this page. Scroll down to “Named Scholarship” and click “Donate.” A new window or tab for PayPal will open. Enter the amount you’d like to give and click “Update Total.” You may be asked to log into PayPal at this point. Once you’ve made it to the “Review Your Donation” page, click on the link that says “Add special instructions to the seller.” Enter “Maria J. Jensen Memorial Fund” in the box that appears and click ahead to complete your transaction.

If you’d prefer to send a check, you can make it payable to “Maria J. Jensen Memorial Fund—WCTC Foundation” and send it to WCTC Foundation, Room C-213, 800 Main St, Pewaukee, WI 53072.

In Memoriam

Although Maria made amazing progress with her fight against cancer, we are sad to update this blog with the news of her passing.

Maria Jensen, 67, died June 24 in Sun City West. She was born December 24, 1943, in Bornem, Belgium, moving to the United States at age 9. Her family settled in St. Clair Shores, MI, where she attended high school.

In 1962, she worked at the Seattle World’s Fair, where she helped introduce the Belgian waffle to the American public, including Elvis Presley.

Maria worked as a secretary for the automotive industry until she married her husband Don in 1964. The pair lived in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Maria was active in her community by helping to found an athletic booster club for the high school her three sons attended. She received an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Waukesha County Technical College in 1997 at age 54.

Don and Maria retired to Arizona in 2004 to be closer to family. In the Corte Bella community near Sun City West, she was an accomplished cook, active golfer, and was passionate about fitness, greeting card making, and spending time with her many friends there.

She is survived by her husband Don; her mother Caroline; her brother Henri (Fran); her sons Gary (Diane), Dennis (Velvet), and Charles (Beau); and her grandchildren Sophie and Ben.

A memorial gathering for friends will be held in November.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor her memory can send donations to “WCTC Foundation for the Maria J. Jensen Memorial Fund” at Waukesha County Technical College, Room C-213, 800 Main St, Pewaukee, WI 53072.