Karen (Hansen) Christensen (1841-1928)

HANSEN, CHRISTENSEN, VANDE BRAKE

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 7/25/2010 at 18:35:09

Audubon County Journal (IA)
July 5, 1928, pg. 1
Aged Lady Died At
Home of Daughter

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Had Been Resident of This
County Over Fifty Years.
Funeral Held Today

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Mrs. Karen Christensen, mother of
P. M. Christensen and Mrs. J. K.
Vande Brake, died Tuesday at the
home of the latter following an illness
of many months. Funeral services
were held at the home this afternoon
at one o'clock and at Oakhill church,
near Brayton, at two o'clock. Burial
was in Oakhill cemetery.

Karen Christensen, nee Hansen, was
born at Tranderup, on the island of
Ero, Denmark, April 29th, 1841, and
died July 3rd, 1928, at Exira, Iowa.

She spent her early life in her na-
tive country, where she was baptized
and confirmed in the Lutheran church.
In 1800 (1860) she was married to Behrend
Christensen and ten years later they
came to America. They first settled
at Davenport, where they lived until
1876, when they moved to Jackson-
ville in Shelby county. Here they re-
mained only a year and came to Bray-
ton, where they operated a farm until
1913, when the(y) retired to the town
of Brayton. Here Mr. Christensen
died in 1920. Their wedlock was
blessed with ten children, of which
six preceded the parents in death and
the surviving four are Peter M. Chris-
tensen and Mrs. Anna Vande Brake
of Exira, Chris and Andrew Christen-
sen of Brayton. Six grandchildren
and one great grandchild also survive.

After her husband's death, Mrs.
Christensen made her home with her
son, Chris, in the home town. When
she commenced to fail in health about
two years ago she was moved to her
daughter's home in Exira, where ev-
erything possible was done for her
care. About a week before her de-
mise she stumbled and fell, injuring
her hip, which confined her perman-
ently to bed. The end came peace-
fully as as(a) (s)lumber to a child after a
long and strenuous day of activity.

Like most pioneers of the West, she
was a resourceful woman, a faithful
help meet (mate) to her husband and a
splendid, selfsacrificing mother to her
large family, as well as a true friend
to all who met her on the path of life.
The family are members of the Oak-
hill Danish Lutheran church, west of
Brayton. Our hope is to the salva-
tion in Jesus Christ, on whom she put
her trust. We are filled with thanks
to God for the long blessed life He
graciously conceded the departed
friend, while we deeply express our
condolonce to the bereaved family.