CHRISTENSEN, Donald Edwin 1922-2015

CHRISTENSEN, PETERSEN

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 12/3/2015 at 10:11:34

RICEVILLE, IOWA - Donald E. Christensen, 93, of Riceville, passed away on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at the Riceville Family Care and Therapy Center in Riceville.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Riceville, with the Rev. Chris Gorshe officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Riceville, with military rites conducted by the Roy Gue Post 244 American Legion of Riceville. Friends may call at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Riceville on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, during the hours of 4 to 7 p.m. and one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday.

Donald Edwin Christensen was born Oct. 10, 1922, on his parents’ farm in Nuckolls County Nebraska near Hardy, Nebraska. He was the first born of Oscar and Thora (Petersen) Christensen. He was baptized Nov. 26, 1922, and later confirmed at Bethany Lutheran of Ruskin, Nebraska. He graduated from Ruskin High School in 1940.

Donald attended Dana College for most of two years. He enlisted on 10/19/1942 with the assurance he could complete his second year, but he was inducted on March 15, 1943. He was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee when World War I ended. Then he was transferred to the Pentagon until his honorable discharge on February 1946

He returned to his home, but decided against returning to college after meeting Pauline Kottmeyer at a roller skating rink. Don and Pauline were married at Salem Lutheran Church in rural Superior, Nebraska on March 21, 1948.

They farmed in Nebraska until March 1957, when they moved to the farm east of Riceville with their three sons, Gary, Daniel, and Steven. In 1978, Don and Pauline moved to their home in Riceville. Don and Pauline were long time members at St. Peter’s Lutheran in Riceville. Don and Pauline spent many winters in Dade City, Florida.

Donald is survived by his wife of 67 years, Pauline of Riceville; his sons: Dan (Susan) Christensen of Lime Springs and Steve (Rosalie) Christensen of Riceville; daughter-in-law Cathy Christensen (Gary deceased) of Boone; 14 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; four sisters-in-law; and many nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; one son, Gary in 1997; and brothers and sisters-in-law.

Source: Mason City Globe Gazette, 3 DEC 2015