Arliss Lee Jensema

Arliss Lee Jensema entered through Heaven's gates on October 10, 2021, after a three-week battle with COVID. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side.

Arliss was born June 8, 1959 in Puyallup, Wash., to Clarence and Evelyn (Wendorf) Jensema. He was the youngest of six siblings. He was full of life and adventure, always on the go. He enjoyed playing trucks in the gravel and battles with G.I. Joe ready to conquer all enemies. On a summer day he would be out in the woods behind our house on an adventure with the neighbor boys. He would come to our mom and ask her to pack him a sack lunch because he was going to be out in the woods all day.

Arliss grew and left the parental nest, and as fate would have it, found his wonderful wife Tami in the wiles of Alaska. They married June 9, 1984. As a husband he grew into a great protector, provider, and a pal. Tami and Arliss brought two children into the Jensema clan; a boy named Jacob and a girl named Katie. No one would mess with those two offspring of his.If you knew Arliss, you never knew what was coming out of his mouth. His sense of humor could make anybody around him smile. He had many jokes to share and was truly the center piece of his family. He was a great protector, giving counsel when needed, and also giving enough room to learn by making a few mistakes. Arliss would provide good counsel, usually something one could use if you would pay heed to it.

Arliss' life revolved around his work; he always had a project to finish. Arliss provided for his family as an electrician in the construction industry. He moved to Endicott, Washington, to work for a contractor, Harrison Electric, who wanted him to come and help them build a successful company there. In 1999 he built the family home there from the ground up. In 2020 they sold their home in Endicott and moved to their forever home in Colfax. Although he never got to see it finished, it has plenty of room for his grandkids, which is exactly what he wanted. His grandkids were his world, he'd do anything for him. He'd often say, "whatever his babies wanted, they got."

Arliss was able to satisfy his adventurous side with hunting, fishing, shooting, playing basketball, riding quads, and boating while helping to build up that Electrical Company. He even became a politician, and sat on the City Council of Endicott providing wisdom to the town folk. Arliss made some lifelong friends there in Endicott. His home was always open to family and friends and it was a joy to go for a visit, or to celebrate a family milestone with him.

He is survived by his wife, Tami at their home in Colfax; his two children, Jacob (Jessica) Jensema and Katie Jensema (Devin) both of Oakesdale, Wash .; his three grandchildren, Ayssa, Birklee and Emma. He is also survived by his older brother Russ (Lisa) Jensema in Bellingham, Wash., and his younger sister, Janice (Glenn) Reeder of Logan, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Evelyn, his sister Deb, and his brothers Ron and Kenny. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is caring for the family.