Ernest Otto "Dick" Christensen 1918-2001

CHRISTENSEN ANDERSON HARRISON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/6/2011 at 16:37:23

Sioux City Journal
19 Jan 2001

Ernest Otto "Dick" Christensen, 82, of Sioux City died of cancer Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001, at Sunrise Retirement Community.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Christy-Smith Morningside Chapel, with the Rev. Alex T. Washington officiating. Burial will be in Banner Township Cemetery, Lawton, Iowa, with military rites conducted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Sergeant Floyd Post 1973. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service Saturday at the funeral home.

Mr. Christensen was born Nov. 12, 1918, near Lawton, the son of Hans and Fanny (Anderson) Christensen. He graduated from Lawton High School as valedictorian in 1936. He farmed on the family farm. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1945, as an airplane and 747 engine mechanic. He served in the French Morocco-Algerian Tunisian, Sicilian, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno Air Offensive in Europe and China. His awards and decorations include seven Bronze Star Medals, Unit Citation and the Good Conduct Medal.

He married Margaret Harrison on June 14, 1952, in Lawton. He was employed as a jet mechanic at the Sioux City Air Force Base, then at a meat packing plant in Omaha. He received his teaching certificate from Wayne State Teachers College in 1965. He taught at a country school near Wayne, Neb. and then at public school in Murray, Neb.

The couple moved to Sioux City in 1967, where he was employed with Prince Manufacturing and then became a public school custodian at several schools, ending his career at Climbing Hill (Iowa) schools. He was then employed as a security guard for the Sioux City Night Patrol.

He was a member of Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton, American Legion Post 718, China-Burma-India Veterans Association Inc. and Veterans of Foreign Wars Sergeant Floyd Post 1973. He enjoyed reading and music.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Delbert of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; a daughter and her husband, Linda and Dale Riesenberg of Sioux City; and three granddaughters, Jayme and Jessica Christensen and Athena Riesenberg.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Louis Peter Christensen.