Proud of the family

It has been such a joy to see the family work together and support one another.

We appreciate each one of you, and thank you for the wonderful contributions you make to our family. Our lives are so rich because of you.

Thank you Blake for the wonderful pictures. Thank you RaeAnne for bringing the family together. Thank you Sherry for all your hard work and talent in "getting things done". Thank you Kelli and Jenni, for making the long trips to be here. It would not be the same without you. And thanks to your wonderful spouses who made it possible for you to come. Thank you Rob for the picture taking, and Steve for all your help.

It was so much fun to have you in our home. The common comments at church yeaterday was: What was going on at your house. There was so many cars, and people coming and going. And my reply: We have a very supportive family, and they all showed up.

And thank you Travis and Lindsea for giving us the reason. We love all of you very much!!!

This article was in a Relief Society Bulletin and Sunday July 18th

WELCOME BACK ARLENE! WE'VE REALLY MISSED YOU!

Arlene Christensen has missed many Relief Society activities the past three or four years because she has been serving at the MTC since Myron was called into a Branch Presidency there. Now that he has been released, we look forward to having Arlene back in our Relief Society Meetings. The Christensen’s have been involved in our Stake for 46 years, so they definitely were missed when they were at the MTC. They loved their calling there, and will miss the missionaries, but we hope we can fill the emptiness they probably feel.
Arlene was born in Menan, Idaho, (about 20 miles North of Idaho Falls,) where she lived in a small log house with her three brothers...her brothers currently live in Utah and Idaho. Her parents, Ross and Irene Barrett, had lovely singing voices and sang at church activities, but Arlene said that she definitely did NOT inherit her parents' singing talents. Her father farmed and taught 6th Grade until he passed away three days before Arlene's seventh birthday. Her
mother found work at a store, while raising four children who were only five months to eight-and-a-half years old when she was left a widow. The old-timers knew her mother, Irene Carter, who lived for about fifteen years in our ward with the Christensen’s. Arlene attended grade school in Menan, then to Rigby for Jr. High and High School, and she enjoyed sports, especially softball, at school and church. She graduated from Rigby High School, then attended Ricks College for six months before enrolling in the Idaho Falls LDS Hospital School of Nursing. After graduating, she and a girlfriend moved to Salt Lake City, where she worked at the LDS Hospital. Their apartment was in the avenues area, and Myron Christensen's parents owned the apartments, and lived in one of them. Myron was away at that time serving a mission in Norway.
Myron Christensen grew up in Salt Lake, graduating from Granite High School. He served for two years in the Army, and then went on his mission. Two months after Arlene moved to Salt Lake, Myron returned home from Norway, and she met him for the first time when she returned from work and he was out washing his parent's car.
Arlene and Myron married eight months later, on August 5, 1959, in the Idaho Falls Temple.
Myron went to BYU, then they moved to Houston where he went to Physical Therapy School. After completing his education, the Christensens returned to Utah where he was employed as a Physical Therapist at Utah Valley Hospital, and later transferred to Mountain View Hospital in Payson to be their Chief Therapist. Myron also did Home Health Therapy, and Arlene worked in hospitals in the baby nurseries while he was getting through school.
All of the Christensen's seven children were born in Provo. RaeAnne the oldest, lives in Manson, Washington, where she teaches school. Her husband has retired from Law Enforcement, and they have six children. Second came Sherry, who lives in Sandy where her husband is President over the IHC Hospitals in Salt Lake, and they have five children. Next came Blake, who has three children, lives in Lehi, and is a Computer Programmer with 3M Corp. Steve lives in Orem, has five children, and works as a Technical Writer for Dynex Corp. Rob lives in Spanish Fork and has two girls, and is employed at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center as an RN. Jenny just moved to Gilbert, Arizona, which is much closer to Orem than was her previous home, so she and her parents are delighted. Jenny's husband is a Phd who does research for Covance, a pharmaceutical research company, and they have five children. Kelli, the youngest, lives in Shorewood, Illinois, her husband works for Spice Island Spices, in Marketing. They have five children. The Christensens spend lots of time visiting their grandchildren, and also their six great-grandchildren who are all boys.
When Kelli was just 18 months old, Arlene and Myron took her with them to Hawaii where they stayed with relatives. They were having so much fun that they arranged for the other five children to fly over and join them. They have very fond memories of that family trip. Last year to celebrate their 50th Anniversary, the Christensens, and all of their children, except Steve were able to go together on an Alaskan Cruise. Myron and Arlene have toured in Israel and Europe, and they flew to Sicily to pick up Steve from his mission, then rented a car and drove to Norway. They have spent many hours on the road driving to visit family. Often they took a truck so that they could deliver furniture that Myron built for his children. (He has also built lovely furniture for Arlene. so go and see it sometime.) Myron has a twin brother and they look very much alike. so when his brother visited our ward it was hard for us to tell who was Byron and who was Myron. They used to visit Nauvoo often when Jenny lived in that area, and they have been on a Western Caribbean Cruise and a Panama Canal Cruise.
Arlene has been a Ward Librarian for many years, also a Counselor in the Young Women and Relief Society Presidencies. She enjoyed being Relief Society Secretary at one time, but she said she is definitely not a teacher, she really does NOT like to teach! Arlene has been a great support to Myron in his many leadership callings. When he served in a Bishopric with Gus Clark in the 14th Ward she sustained him. When he was called as our Ward Bishop Arlene was by his side. When Myron was called after just ten months of being Bishop, to the Stake Presidency, Arlene was his helping hand. When General Authorities visited Stake Conference on Saturdays, the Stake Presidencies wives prepared the lunch for them, so Arlene was a big help at conference time. Whatever calling Myron has had, Arlene has been behind the scenes. When I asked Myron to quickly tell me one sentence that describes Arlene, he said, "Arlene has an over-abundance of patience!" How true that is. She gave up being a nurse to her hospital PATIENTS, and has spent 51 years of PATIENCE helping her husband and nurturing her children.
Arlene used to do lots of machine quilting, but lately not so much. Her girls picked up this talent from her, and they secretly got together and made a very special quilt for their mom, and then they started getting together, this time with Arlene's help, and making each of them a quilt just like hers. Such fun times with her girls! Arlene also loves to read and watch the musical movie oldies.
When the Christensens moved back to Utah after schooling, they lived in Morningside Heights for seven years, then in 1971 moved into their present home on 1800 South. Three years ago Arlene had a serious health emergency that landed her in the hospital for eight weeks with pneumonia and an infection in her back. Then recently Myron had back surgery, but is beginning to feel much better. Arlene is such a great homemaker and nurse who lovingly takes care of her own family, and also welcomes others who often stay with them. For example, during Myron's recent recovery, she not only patiently took care of him, but also had a family from Brazil who asked to stay with them while they found a place to live. This is so typical of Arlene. She and Myron also took care of her mother, Irene, so very lovingly and patiently. She doesn't complain, but just stays calm and loving as she opens her heart and her home to others and willingly cares for them. We will certainly enjoy having Arlene back in Relief Society Meetings fulltime. Welcome home Arlene!

Byron & Zelma had a wonderful birthday party to celebrate our 75th birthday. The poster picture was blown up from a picture of when we were about 5 years old. Byron got new hats for us to wear on this occasion. We are still wondering which is Myron and which is Byron. If you can figure it out please respond.

Anyway, many thanks to Byron and Zelma and their wonderful children for making this a very fun evening. Our trip to Vancouver was very fun and relaxing.

Update: We just returned from Kelli's after spending a week with their new baby CARTER. We sure enjoyed our visit there. It is really fun to be with our grandchildren, and especially nice to have Jenni and Jim and their children come down for the week end. We got home OK in spite of the snow storm and airport conditions.

Grandma sure enjoyed holding the baby, as I did also. He is a good baby and is sure loved by his brothers, and especially Sydney.

We celebrated Grandmas birthday while there. It was a lot of fun and all of the grandchildren got into the act..

Edward and Marie meet and marry

While working at the telephone office, she met the man she would eventually marry. His name was EDWARD MARION CHRISTENSEN.

There was something about that boy", she said,"that was irresistible". She confided that their courtship was all ways interrupted in some way or another. "It never ran smooth", she said. "It neverless kept on running".

On Feb. 1917 they were engaged to be married on June 20th 1917. She worked at the telephone office until noon on the day they were married, then left for Salt Lake to be married, in the Salt Lake Temple. She was accompanied by her grandmother Kienke in the temple.

She admits that while they were courting, she had an advantage being a telephone operator. One night while on duty, she listened in while Edward talked to a girl friend on the phone. When the friend asked him where he was the night before, he answered he was out walking with Marie Miller and they spent some time together while talking on a bridge. "Well" the girl said, "why didn't you push her in". That seemed to amuse Marie. Not long after this they were engaged while riding in a buggy.

Edward Marion Christensen, and Mary (Marie) Miller about the time they were married.

MORE TO FOLLOW!

Remembering my mother and father, brings back a flood of childhood memories. Mother died in her middle 90's, and dad in his middle 60's. I would like you to be more acquainted with them, so I am attempting too create a blog of memories of my childhood and, perhaps, help you to know them better.

THE JEWELS IN MY CROWN

Marie E. Christensen

"We that have precious jewels

that have been entrusted to our care,

to raise to manhood and womanhood

outshine all of the crown jewels of royalty.

Each one has a distant mark

of individuality, talent. and refinement.

What more can we ask."

Edward Marion Christensen was born in Levan, Utah on August 23, 1892, to Soren Anthon Chriatensen, and Minnie Henretta Shepherd. He was the eldest of eleven children. Minnew Elease, Abbie Johanna, Preston Q., Verda Eliza Spencer Anthon, and Chloe Henretta.

He was fourteen years of age when his mother died during the childbirth of Henretta, leaving a family of seven children. His fathers mother came to help and the baby was taken care of by a brother of Minnie, (August Shepherd), known as "Uncle Gus". They raised the child in their own large family. Grandma Christensen came and took care of the family until Elease, dad's younger sister was old enough to share the household duties.

He graduated from BYU with a degree to teach. His desire, however, was to become a Certified Public Accountant, and continue in school to achieve that goal. His father insisted that he continue to teach school. His first assignment was in the Juab School District assigned to the Mills School, in Mills Utah. He taught for two years. It was undesirable for him.

While there he met the girl he would marry:

MARY (MARIE) MILLER, was born July 28, 1983 in Nephi, Utah. The daughter of Daniel Morgan Miller, and Lucy Kienke.

She was the oldest of six children: Mary (Marie) Elizabeth Miller 28 July,1893, Daniel Morgan Miller,24 Feb. 1895, John Vernon Miller, 23 Jul. 1897, Floyd Vernon Miller,23 Jul 1899, Norma Luella Miller, Feb. 6, 1902, and Melba Francis Miller, 22 Dec. 1909.

She attended school called the little South School in Nephi. During her sixth, seventh, and eighth, grade her teacher recognized musical talent in her and encouraged her to take music lessons, which she did. She attended one year of high school, after which it was necessary for her to stay at home to care for her ailing mother.

She worked in the telephone office in Nephi at the age of 18. While there whe met the man she would eventually marry. (Edward Marion Christensen). MORE TO FOLLOW!!!