Milford Ernest Jorgensen

Milford Ernest Jorgensen passed away on June 17, 2021. He was born on the family farm in Guthrie County, Iowa on December 5, 1934. Milford was a retired engineer and worked at John Deere from 1959 until 1986. Much of his life as a father was spent living in Ankeny, Iowa before moving to Knoxville, Tennessee after retirement. He is preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife Deborah Louise Jorgensen, as well as his parents Ernest Andrew and Alta Iona Jorgensen, and brother Cecil Jorgensen. Milford and his wife were both members of the Oasis Institute since 1995. Milford fell in love with Debby at first sight, proposing after only a few dates. He then devoted 64 years of marriage caring for her every need before her passing. Throughout his life, Milford demonstrated his love for friends and family by taking on responsibility. It was of the utmost importance to him that everyone in his life felt safe, that their needs were met. He was a do-it- yourself kind of man, and never encountered a problem in the home he couldn’t fix. As the provider, he found joy in his service and duty to family. For Milford, the Iowa country boy at heart, modesty was a virtue. He’d often jokingly bragged about his “royal heritage” which was not any nobleman but rather a servant, the King of Denmark’s gardener. And while he remained humble with a self-deprecating wit, he was serious about the project of self-improvement. As a young man, he was driven to get his education in Agriculture Education from Iowa State, paying his own way. He passed his spark of curiosity and thirst for knowledge onto his children, deeply instilling in them the value of education. His children and grandchildren also have fond memories of Milford’s humor. They’d howl in laughter whenever he’d turn his eyelids inside out. He created non-stop giggling by his grandchildren and great grandchildren as he would attempt to count all their ribs to make sure none were missing. Milford is survived by daughters, Joan (Curtis) Wells and Anne Victoria; sons, Ned (Brenda) and Matt (Jamie) Jorgensen; grandsons David Wells, Braden Wells, Andrew Jorgensen and Blake Wahlert; granddaughters, Amy Wells, Ashley Bash, Rachel Emmert, Cade Jorgensen, and 12 great grandchildren, as well as, his sister Joyce Beasley. One of Milford’s greatest passions was handball. He was first introduced to the sport by his father-in-law Ralph Chism who gave him a pair of handball gloves for Christmas. Known for his infamous Z-serve, Milford made lifelong friends playing the sport and passed it down to his children and grandchildren. Like his father-in-law before him, he played until he was 86. Milford enjoyed traveling with Debby. They ventured to places like Ireland and Niagara Falls, but were sure to travel through the states to meet up with friends and family. However for Milford, it was always important for him to return back to his humble roots in Guthrie Center, Iowa for his yearly high school reunions. He and Debby were the only couple of their class to marry. He is at peace now, reunited with her. A call at convenience for Milford will be held Tuesday, June 22, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Mynatt Funeral Home Halls Chapel. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10:00 AM and may be livestreamed viewed at www.facebook.com/hallslivestream. An interment to follow will occur Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to be made to the Bethel Mission Shelter, 1310 6th Ave, Des Moines, Iowa (www.hopeiowa.org) or to the First Ace program for youth handball at ushandball.org. Condolences for the family may be shared at www.mynattfh.com.