Ethel Christensen

Ethel Christensen, the daughter of Laurits (Lars) and Alma (Petersen) Sorensen, was born March 11, 1921, at her parents’ home west of Jacksonville, Iowa and died March 24, 2017, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 96 years, and 13 days.
Ethel was baptized at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church near Jacksonville in May of 1921 and later confirmed at the Hamlin Lutheran Church in Hamlin, Iowa. She attended country school at Center No. 5 in Shelby County and also in Kirkman, Iowa and Elk Horn, Iowa before she graduated from the Atlantic High School with the Class of 1939.
On April 20, 1941, she was united in marriage to Edmund Christensen in Papillion, Nebraska. They were blessed with two children Judith Kay and Darwin Dean. While Edmund was serving in the Army, Ethel and Judy stayed with her parents. She lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming while Edmund was stationed there. Ethel and Edmund lived most of their married life in Hamlin. Ethel was employed as a waitress and cook at the Hamlin restaurant for over 27 years. Edmund died on June 10, 1977. In March 1979 Ethel went to work as a front desk clerk at the Wise Owl Motel at the Valley area north of Atlantic where she worked until she retired in 1990. In 1980 she moved to Brayton where she made her home until she moved to the Exira Care Center in Exira, Iowa
Ethel was a member of the Hamlin Lutheran Church where she had belonged since 1947. She was a member of the Priscilla Guild, A.L.C.W. and later the Evening Circle. When the Hamlin Lutheran Church closed she became a member of the Brayton Lutheran Church in Brayton, Iowa. Ethel belonged to two Pinochle Card Clubs where they played at the Brayton Town Hall. She enjoyed watching sports on TV and on Saturday nights she enjoyed watching the Country Western, and Polka music channels. Ethel always cut every clipping about grandchildren accomplishments in the newspapers and she never missed sending a card or calling to wish someone a happy birthday.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband Edmund Christensen; an infant grand-daughter Lori Christensen and an infant great-grandson Jase Anderson; her parents; her sister Marie and husband Raymond Hansen; her brothers an infant brother, Willie and wife Dexter Sorensen and Kenneth and wife Gladys Sorensen, her sisters-in-law: Edith Larson, Gerda Hope, Selma Christensen; her brothers-in-law: Alvin Mortensen, Henry Mortensen, Arnold Christensen, Norman Christensen, and Herbert Christensen; and special friend Curtis Wilson.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughter Judy and husband Gary Anderson of Atlantic, Iowa; her son Darwin and wife Sarah Christensen of Poway, California; her grandchildren: Rick and wife Sharon Anderson of Brayton, Iowa, Jeff and wife Carol Anderson, Mike and wife Kim Anderson all of Atlantic, Iowa; Todd and wife Kim Anderson of Mint Hill, North Carolina; Michelle and husband Chris Jervis of Poway, California; Tracey and husband Jesse Greer of Escondido, California, 14 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great grandchildren; sisters-in-law: Liane Christensen of Harlan, Iowa and Betty Christensen of Audubon, Iowa; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Frock on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, at 10:30 A.M. at the Brayton Lutheran Church in Brayton, Iowa. Interment will be in the Hamlin Cemetery in Hamlin, Iowa. The casket bearers will be Rick Anderson, Jeff Anderson, Mike Anderson, Todd Anderson, Verner Hansen, and Herbert Christensen. The family will meet with friends Tuesday evening, March 21, 2017, at 5:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa.