Claudette Fontaine Jensen, 70, of Butler, MO died Monday, June 28, 2010 at Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 1, 2010 at the Ohio Street United Methodist Church in Butler, MO. Memorial contributions may be made to the Butler Public Library or to the Ohio Street United Methodist church.

Claudette was born May 7, 1940 in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, the youngest of five children of Adelaird and Elizabeth (Dufresne) Fontaine. Her father died when she was three and her mother died when she was five. She lived for two years with her two oldest sisters in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1947, Claudette was adopted by an aunt and uncle, Roland and Yvonne Wildrick and moved to Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey. She became an American citizen at age sixteen. She graduated from Manasquan High School in Manasquan, New Jersey and then went on to graduate from Monmouth College nursing program in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1960. After graduating from nursing school, Claudette came to Missouri to visit a sister, Reine Six. While here she met Wesley William Jensen and they were married on June 23, 1962. Claudette and Wesley lived most of their married life in Butler where they raised two sons, Eric and Christopher.

Claudette worked as a registered nurse until her retirement in May of 2009. When she came to Missouri, she was employed at the Bates County Memorial Hospital. In 1967 she was hired by the Butler R-V School District to establish a school nurse program. In 1976 Claudette was hired by the Bates County commissioners to establish a county public health department, the Bates County Health Center. She served as the Bates County Health Center's administrator for over seventeen years. During that time she and her staff also started the county's first certified home health agency and a volunteer hospice program. She also initiated the establishment of the Missouri Rural Health Administrators Association and served as the association's first chairman. In 1993 Claudette accepted a position with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a Health Facilities Nursing Consultant and continued in that position until her retirement.

Claudette was a devoted wife and mother. She volunteered as Cub Scout den mother, Little League fund raiser, Sunday school teacher, 4H leader and Butler Bear Booster, so she could be involved with her sons' activities. She was always there to support them and cheer them on. Her favorite things were attending their sons' sporting events, plays and other activities, family outings and vacations, the Bridge Club, golden retrievers and cats with attitude but most of all spending time with her husband, sons, daughter-in-laws and her five grandchildren.

Claudette is survived by her husband of 48 years, Wesley; two sons; Eric and wife, Meloni of Irvine, California and Chris and wife, Juana of Henderson, Nevada; five cherished grandchildren, Kate, Cole and Anna of Irvine and Lea and William of Henderson; two sisters, Adele Arvelo of Edmonton, Canada and Reine Six of Holiday, Florida; sister-in-law Ruth Marr and husband, Bill of Amoret and numerous nieces, nephews and dear friends and last, but not least, Max the dog and Joey the cat.