SALINA — Accolades at Gary Lynn "Gibb" Jensen's funeral came from the highest tiers of government and religion — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — yet local folks remembered him as an ordinary guy with an unyielding commitment to miner safety.

One story about Jensen, who died Aug. 16 attempting to rescue six trapped miners at Crandall Canyon Mine, involved his days as a safety manager, or "fire boss," at Consolidated Energy Co. in Emery.

It was Jensen's job to determine whether the mine was safe enough to allow a new shift of employees. Once he argued with mine bosses about allowing employees into the mine. The discussion ended with the bosses chastising him for insubordination.

"He came back out a half-hour later, and he closed the portable (entrance) until it was safe," said neighbor Tom Valk, who worked at the mine with Jensen.

Valk smiled when he remembered the story.

More than 1,000 people attended the funeral for the 55-year-old Jensen, a resident of Redmond, Sevier County.

Jensen, an employee for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, was one of three rescuers who were killed trying to reach the six trapped miners in the Crandall Canyon Mine in Huntington.

A "bump" in the mine at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16 unleashed rock on the rescuers. Jensen died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

He was trying to reach Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez, who were trapped when the mine collapsed Aug. 6.

"Gary was a treasured member of the MSHA family who did not hesitate to undertake the dangerous assignment of the mine rescue," Chao said. "Even though he had been with MSHA a relatively short time, he made a very strong impression on everyone."

Chao presented an American flag to Jensen's wife of 34 years, Lola, and children Robert Neal Jensen, Amy Shelley, Dustin Jensen and Hayley Jensen.

"The Lord has now taken Gary into his loving embrace," Chao said.

Elder Daniel Jones, the area representative for the Quorum of the Seventy of the LDS Church, read a letter from church President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselor, President Thomas S. Monson.

"We join with the community in sharing your pain at this time of sorrow," the letter stated.

"Jesus Christ made the plan of salvation possible," Elder Jones said. "I am his witness. I testify in him. I know that he was there to greet this special man."

Jensen served on the Redmond City Council from 1998-2001, when he resigned for out-of-state training after joining MSHA.

He worked in mining for about 35 years, starting in salt mines and later working in coal mines in the area. He steered his career toward safety management.

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"His big thing was helping people," son Dustin Jensen said. "That's why he enjoyed the safety end of it."

At the funeral, when an emergency dispatcher for the Sevier County Emergency Medical Services where Jensen volunteered for several years sent a "final page" over the police radio, Jensen's wife and adult children succumbed to their emotions.

"Gary and the Jensen family, we salute you. Godspeed," the dispatcher said.


E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com

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