Jurgensen was born in Madison, Nebraska, in October 1894 to Peter and Sophia (Paulsen) Jurgensen. He attended high school in Spencer, Nebraska and college at the University of Nebraska, and worked in the insurance business. He married Margaret J. Carper of Cass County in 1920.[1]
Before seeking political office, Jurgensen served as president of the Western Union Life Insurance Company in Lincoln, Nebraska.[2] In 1928 Jurgensen, then a Republican, challenged Charles J. Warner, then an incumbent state senator, in the Republican primaries for his seat in the Nebraska Senate, but he was unsuccessful.[3][4]
Jurgensen was removed from office in June 1938, after being convicted in March 1938 of embezzling $549 in a stock transaction between a co-defendant and a railroad station agent in September 1934.[7] Jurgensen contested the conviction and sought renomination for a fourth term as lieutenant governor, but was declared ineligible to participate in the primary.[8] His successor, Democrat Nate M. Parsons, was elected to fill out the term—and served less than two months.
He was sentenced to serve two to five years, and was freed by the state pardon board in December 1940 after making an unopposed request to be released.[9][10]
References
^Sheldon, Addison Erwin. Nebraska, The Land and the People, Vol. 3 (1931)
^"The Public Pulse". Omaha World-Herald. April 1, 1932. Retrieved May 29, 2023. ...Walter H. Jurgensen... was a candidate on the republican ticket against Senator Charles J. Warner.
