Silver Spoon Tradition
My Dearest Greater Tensen Family,
Greetings to you on this summer evening! It’s been about a year ago now since many of us gathered in Cove, Oregon, for our most recent Tensen Family Reunion. It was such a wonderful time but we definitely missed those who could not be there. I do hope you are having a nice summer and I send my love to you and yours!
I am writing today with regards to the ‘Tensen Family Silver Spoon’ tradition we share in our family. This tradition began long ago and I believe might have been initiated by my grandmother Betty Tensen Rinehart. It truly all began with the marriage of Hilda Louise Lafrenz Tensen and Dick Tensen who were married on May 15th, 1912, in Vale, Oregon and celebrated their Silver (25th) Wedding Anniversary on May 15, 1937. The Silver Spoons adorn two separate plaques; one for the bride, Hilda and the other for the groom, Dick, with their names inscribed. Thereafter the names and anniversary dates of the celebrating couple are engraved on small gold name plates that hang from the plaques.
The first couple after Hilda and Dick to celebrate their Silver Wedding Anniversary, were Betty (Tensen) and Grant Rinehart who celebrated in 1961, and then Tiena (Tensen) and William Bothamley celebrated in 1963, then Louise (Tensen) and Robert Peterson celebrated in 1969 and then Dick and Margaret Tensen celebrated in 1975. It then jumps on to the next generations and we now have twenty couples in our Tensen family that have celebrated their (25th) Silver Wedding Anniversary.
Mark and I received the Tensen Silver Spoons last summer (2022) from Tiena (Tensen) and Jerry Sniffin and I just mailed them on to Chris and Traci Peters. So, congratulations and enjoy!! I think it is a very special tradition and recently while getting the silver spoons ready for the next recipient, I learned from the jeweler that helped with the engraving, that many families have similar such traditions. It was interesting and fun to learn of some of these. Some involved newly married couples and others new babies joining the greater family. It made me think of the ‘Tensen Baby Collage’ my mom Gretchen and sister-in-law Khing created, sharing cute photos of the many new Tensen babies that have recently joined the family.
I am grateful that we share this tradition in our Tensen family and think of my grandmother Betty often, and her siblings, Tiena, Louise and Dick, and their steadfast love of family and extended family. As I prepared the spoons for the next recipients, I have enjoyed reveling in fun memories shared with my greater Tensen family; many from the reunions over the years that began in the 1970’s at Lake Owyhee, and then later at Fairwell Bend on the Snake River, and most recently in Cove, Oregon. Ironically, I have just spent a few days this week in Ontario, visiting aunt Triena and cousin Andy. We visited family in Boise and beautiful Lake Owyhee, picnicking at the site of our first reunions. It was so heartwarming to be at Lake Owyhee after several years. Spending this special time in the Treasure Valley this week had extra special meaning to me, maybe because I am becoming an old lady, but I have been thinking a lot of my Grandma Betty and her parents and siblings and where else better to revel in my Tensen lineage than in the beautiful Treasure Valley!? I hope you enjoy the photos of the Silver Spoons; thank you Chris and Traci for the photo!! and some photos of my recent visit to Ontario, Nyssa and Lake Owyhee.
The ‘Tensen Silver Spoon’ tradition is a wonderful way of passing on family history and tradition from one generation and on to the next. We have now passed one hundred years since Hilda and Dick Tensen were married in Vale, Oregon, in 1912. Amazing!! I can see why those Dutch brothers chose to settle in the Treasure Valley, such gorgeous country!! And even though 25 years sounds like a long time, I am here to tell you that it comes around quicker than you might think, so be ready to receive the Silver Spoons, as your day is just around the corner!
Sending much love to you and yours,
Megan (Kimsey) Jarman August 2026