Christensen, John Walter (1937 - 2023)

CHRISTENSEN, ERICKSON, PAPPAS, KUMM, MARSH, BLADT

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 2/24/2023 at 15:51:58

Name of deceased: John Walter Christensen

Aged: 85 yrs, 5 mo, 13 days

Residence: Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Born: Aug. 25, 1937; rural Shelby County, IA

Died: Feb. 7, 2023; Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Council Bluffs, IA

Funeral services: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Harlan, IA; burial was in Jacksonville Cemetery, Jacksonville, IA

Survived by: Wife of 15 years, Verna Erickson of Harlan, IA; children, Scott (spouse, Cynthia) Christensen of Omaha, NE, Jerry (spouse, Jenny) Christensen of Castle Rock, CO, and Michael (spouse, Emily) Christensen of Harlan, IA; daughter-in-law, Rita Christensen of Omaha, NE; stepson, Michael (spouse, Juanita) Erickson of Elk Horn, IA; stepdaughter, Jill (spouse, Dave) Pappas of Lord’s Valley, PA; 9 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; sisters, Patricia (spouse, Derald) Kumm of Harlan, IA and Mary (spouse, Herm) Marsh of Torrance, CA; nieces; nephews; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Walter and Margaret Christensen; first wife, Myrna (deceased 2005); son, Grant Christensen

Education: While in high school, John was a track, baseball and football athlete; as a sophomore he was on the 1954 State Track Championship team. As a senior, he was Homecoming King. John graduated from Harlan High School with the Class of 1956.

Religious affiliation: Member of and served in various capacities at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, IA, including deacon and council president

Military service: no information provided

Marriages: (1) Myrna Loy Bladt; Nov. 3, 1957; Elk Horn Lutheran Church, Elk Horn, IA (2) Verna Erickson; Sep. 1, 2007; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Harlan, IA

Employment: With wife Myrna, they farmed together raising hogs, cattle and crops. In the early 1980s John started working as a farm manager at Wilson Hybrids, Harlan, IA and later at Remington Seed, Harlan, IA as the distribution manager.

Hobbies/Interests: In his younger years, he enjoyed fishing and sports in school, as well as summers in Minnesota for an annual family gathering. While his sons were in school, John coached them on the Jacksonville (IA) Jets baseball team; in the early 1980s, John was elected to the school board and served as president from 1983 to 1984. He was an active supporter of his sons in their sporting and musical extra-curricular activities. John also had his pilot’s license and owned a Cessna C150 aircraft. With Verna, they enjoyed traveling, spending time with friends, going out to the club and weekly breakfasts at Wings. He was a dedicated fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Harlan High School Cyclones. Most Friday nights during football season, you could find John and Verna parked at the north end-zone cheering on the Harlan Cyclones.

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; pauleyjones.com