Darlene Dolores Jens

Dec 14, 1946 -

Jun 12, 2025

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Dolly Jens, loving wife and lifetime partner, passed away at the age of 68 at Providence Alaska Hospital in Anchorage. Dolly was a strong, loving and principled woman who lived a remarkable life. Her husband was at her side, heartbroken by her passing.

Dolly was born on Dec. 14, 1946, in Colfax, Wash., to Arnold and Amy Schragg. Dolly spent much of her childhood and school-age years in Spokane, Wash. She began her working career as an administrative clerk for Pacific Gas Transmission Company where she met her future husband, Mike Jens. Together they relocated to Sandpoint, Idaho, where they stayed for three years before moving back to Spokane. In 1974, Dolly and Mike moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, to pursue careers in the cross-country pipeline construction business with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Ultimately, they relocated to Anchorage in 1977, where they built the house in which they currently live.

During construction of their Anchorage home Dolly employed her considerable interior design skills to finalize and furnish the new house. After construction of the new house Dolly continued to employ her interior design skills as an independent consultant to numerous homeowners. She established an enviable reputation with both homeowners and housing contractors in the Anchorage area.

At the same time that she was performing interior design work Dolly enhanced her physical fitness as a cross-country runner and lap swimmer. Her running career lasted quite a number of years, and her physical fitness improved the more she ran and swam. She participated in several competitive runs and enjoyed running against other women in her age group.

In her later years Dolly spent considerable time away from home in Anchorage traveling back to Spokane to provide health care for her own ageing parents and her husband's ageing parents. The extensive travel and time away from home in Alaska took a toll on her physical fitness and forced her to abandon much of her running career.

Dolly and Mike enjoyed each other's company as they adventured into their later years of life. Dolly was happiest staying in the home they built on the Anchorage Hillside and enjoying the company of many close friends she developed over the years. She was always ready to talk on the phone or have a gabfest with friends in person.

A celebration of Dolly's life will be held later, where friends can gather to share stories, laughter and love, as well as a few lies. Her final resting place will be in Anchorage where she made her home. We invite friends to send memories, stories and experiences of Dolly to Mike at mikejens@gci.net. Thanks to all who knew and loved her.