James Carl "Jim" Jensen, 80, longtime Minot real estate broker and civic leader, died on August 27, 2018 in a Chandler, AZ memory care facility.

Jim was born on July 11, 1938 in Minot to Leonard and Edna (Price) Jensen. He was raised in Minot, graduated from Minot High School in 1956. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1957 and served as a decoder with the N.S.A. prior to his honorable discharge. Later, he attended Minot State University and Minot Business College.

Jim married Karen Schnaible on June 9, 1963 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Max, ND. They made their home in Minot where they were the proud parents of two daughters: Kristine and Jill. Jim and Bud Kalmbach established Signal Realty in 1962 and he became sole owner in 1967, and later established Signal Management. He also owned Bismarck Realty and a real estate firm in Rapid City, SD, was named North Dakota Realtor of the Year, and served as the president of the ND Association of Realtors, and as the Regional Vice President of the National Realtors Association. He especially enjoyed helping new and struggling real estate agents and was a leader in establishing an income baseline for realtors in North Dakota in the early years of his career. He and his Prairie Partners developed Dakota Square, Southdale and Green Acres in Minot. He retired in 1986 but stayed very active in the community. His life's motto was "Minot has been very good to me, so I want to give back to Minot wherever I can."

Jim was a member, usher, communion server, and Sunday school teacher at Zion Lutheran Church. He served many years on the Boards of Directors of Trinity Hospital (Chairman), Dakota Boys Ranch, First Western Bank and North Dakota State Fair. He was Alderman of the Sixth Ward, member of the Board of Regents and was awarded an honorary degree at Minot State University. He attended and taught Dale Carnegie courses and was chairman of the Y's Men's Rodeo. He was a member of the Minot Toastmasters, Exchange Club, Lions, Rotary, Y.M.C.A., Minot Indoor Tennis Club, Minot Country Club, Elks, Eagles, American Legion Post #26 and Dakota Cruisers Car Club.

Jim's favorite hobby was restoring classic roadsters and he could be found in many hills and valleys of the Minot area looking for car parts. He and Karen enjoyed car shows and held a show annually at their home in Minot. Many of his cars won awards and were sold at the Barret Jackson auction. He also enjoyed tennis, golf, local and big game hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. Jim also had his private pilot's license for many years and enjoyed flying and traveling.

Jim's loving family includes his loving wife of 55 years: Karen; daughters: Kristine (Grant) Paranica of Grand Forks, Jill (Tony) Barten of Savage, MN; grandchildren: Tarek, Jordyn and Grace Paranica; Ozzy Nyane and Jake Barten; in-laws: Ed (Linda) Schnaible of Minot, Tim (Darlene) Schnaible of Burlington, Audrey Pollard of Seattle, WA, Maudie Schnaible of Woodland, CA, and Felix Brown of Denver, CO, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and sister: Millie (Orlin) Backes, in-laws: Norman Schnaible and Luella Brown.

Special Thanks: The family would like to express our gratitude to those who helped us through the stages of Jim's illness and made his and our lives easier with your love and support: Maple View of Minot, Copper Creek Inn of Chandler, Aegis Hospice Care of Chandler, Bob Amstutz, Jim and Teresa Gathman, Jon and Karla Backes, Mary Beth Backes Brenno, Ed and Linda Schnaible, and Tim and Darlene Schnaible.

Celebration of the Life of Jim Jensen: Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in Zion Lutheran Church - Minot.
Visitation: Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a Family Service at 8:00 p.m. all at Zion Lutheran Church - Minot.
Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association, Dementia Care of Minot, Dakota Boys Ranch, Minot State University, Minot Community Foundation, Zion Lutheran Church or the donor's choice.

James Jenson Flowers