CHRISTIANSEN, Leonard R.

CHRISTIANSEN, DEETS, WOLHERT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 12/18/2008 at 10:59:17

MASON CITY, IOWA - Leonard R. Christiansen, 94, of Sumner, Iowa, formerly of Mason City, died Monday, December 15, 2008, in Sumner.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason city, Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, with Pastor Kathy Graves officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., and continue one hour before the service at the church.

Leonard was born on September 11, 1914, in rural Nora Springs, Iowa, the son of John and Carolina (Wolhert) Christiansen. He graduated from Rock Falls High School. Leonard married Jessie E. Deets on June 28, 1937, in Nora Springs. That same year they moved to Ventura, Iowa, where Leonard was engaged in farming for many years. He retired in 1977 and he and Jessie moved to Mason City.

Leonard lived in Kentucky Ridge Assisted Living in Mason City then moved to Sumner, Iowa, where he resided in the Hillcrest Home.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Rock Falls Senior Citizens Center. His interests focused on his farming which included his crops, livestock and some 4,000 laying hens.

Leonard is survived by his son, Leonard R. (Joan) Christiansen of Mobile, Ala.; daughter, Laurie L. (Gary) Stauffer of Sumner; brother, Clarence (Evelyn) Christiansen of Mason City; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Leonard was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Jessie; daughter, Myrna; and four sisters.

Major Erickson Funeral Home and Crematory, 641-423-0924, www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.

[Published in the Globe Gazette online, 12/18/2008, www.globegazette.com]