Raymond CHRISTENSEN

CHRISTENSEN, GARDALEN, SISCO, ANDERSEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/14/2016 at 13:16:51

August 20, 1921 ---- May 10, 2016

Raymond Christensen, 94, of Alden/Iowa Falls, passed away on May 10, 2016 at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Monday, May 16th, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Alden with burial in Northlawn Memory Gardens. Visitation will be Sunday from 4-6 p.m. at the Surls Funeral Home in Iowa Falls. Memorials may be directed to the Alden United Methodist Church.

Ray was born August 20, 1921 in rural Dows, Iowa to Andrew and Clara (Gardalen) Christensen. His family included 4 brothers and 4 sisters. Ray grew up on a farm north of Popejoy. He attended Rural Franklin County School and went to high school in Popejoy. Ray enlisted in the Army in June of 1942. He was an Army infantryman in the 81st Wildcat Division. In January of 1945, he was wounded in action and lost the sight in one eye at the Battle of Peleiu. He was discharged in June of that year. Ray was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Ray married Frankie Sisco on January 1, 1946 and they had four sons, Andrew, Jeffrey, Kelly and Marshall. Ray married Katherine Andersen in January of 1970 and became the father of 8 more; Chris, Judy, Beverly, Cathy, John, Gloria, Dale and Darla. They started their life together in Alden with 8 kids at home. One of Ray’s biggest enjoyments was his family. He considered all of this big blended family as his and he was not step-dad, but was “Father”.

When Ray returned home from the service, he decided he would become a carpenter. He started with corn cribs and the first house he built from ground up was built in Alden. Now you can find hundreds of homes he has built or remodeled in the surrounding communities. Ray built the Legion Hall next door to the United Methodist Church in Alden and most of the houses on Bluffs Street in Alden. Besides making his living doing this, he volunteered many hours helping build and repair in the community. He donated time and materials to the Lions Club, City of Alden, Alden School, Iowa Residential Services in Iowa Falls and Marshalltown, and the Hardin County Development Center in Iowa Falls. He was the best One Eyed Carpenter.

Ray and Kate stayed busy going to their kid’s sporting events and traveling to wrestling meets, softball, and basketball games for their kids at home and the ones who had already left home. Many trips were made in their motor home. Upon retirement, Ray and Kate traveled all over the country and even took the motor home to see Alaska for two months. They finally settled in Texas for winters and ended up with a mobile home in Alamo, TX. In 2000 they were Winter Texans of the Year.

Ray was a lifetime member of the Collins-Dunning Alden American Legion Post 201, and the D.A.V. he was a long-standing member of the Alden United Methodist Church.

http://www.surls.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=3718896&fh_id=14592