Eunice Naomi (Ellingston) CHRISTENSON

CHRISTENSON, ELLINGSTON, ULSTAD, STADLMAN, HAGEN, HOPKEY, BAILEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/18/2008 at 09:45:56

07/15/2008
Belmond Independent, IA

Eunice N. Christenson, 87, died of natural causes July 12, 2008 at the Hampton Health Care Center. Services were held July 15 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church west of Belmond with Interim Pastor Kim Hassan officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.
Eunice Naomi was born February 10, 1921 to Elling and Nettie Ulstad Ellingston at her parents' farm home west of Belmond, the third of seven siblings. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. She attended Belmond Township #4 School and graduated from Belmond High School in 1939. The next four years she taught in Belmond and Lake Township. Eunice was married on January 29, 1942 in Maryville, MO to Lloyd Christenson of Kanawha. Lloyd enlisted in the air force and was later deployed to California where she joined him. During the nearly three years they spent in California, Eunice worked at the naval shipyards as a machinist helper, repairing ships returning from the war zone and preparing new ships for launch. Eunice and Lloyd returned to Iowa in 1945 with their daughter Nancy Lynn. Their son Charles Lloyd (Chuck) was born a few years later. They spent many years on the family farm. In the late 1960's they moved to Belmond. Eunice is remembered as a woman who was open to innovative ideas, and a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who treasured every moment with her grandchildren. She relished her participation in all aspects of serving the young and old in her church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Maxine, Virgil and Bernice; brother Leo; and son Chuck. Survivors include her husband of Belmond; daughter Nancy (Neil) Stadlman of Cedar Falls; daughter-in-law Linda (Gary) Hagen of Wells, MN; grandchildren Mike Christenson of Valley City, ND, Braden Stadlman, Breon Stadlman and Amy Christenson, all of Minneapolis; siblings Raymond (Rebecca) Ellingston and Avis Hopkey, all of Belmond; brother-in-law Keith Bailey of Tacoma, WA; and sister-in-law Opal Ellingston of Belmond.