Joan E. Christensen

          Joan E. Christensen, 87, of St. Paul died Saturday, April 30, 2016 at Brookefield Park in St. Paul.

          Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in St. Paul.  Reverend Carolyn Hellerich will officiate.  Interment will be in Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul.

          Visitation will be held on Tuesday, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the church.

          Memorials are suggested to family’s choice.

          Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Christensen was born August 30, 1928 in rural Howard County south of Wolbach to Emil and Elnor (Christensen) Pedersen.

          Joan attended rural school in Howard and Greeley counties through the eighth grade.  She then attended Wolbach High School where she graduated in 1945.

          Joan taught rural school in the Boelus area.  She moved to Omaha where she was employed by Northwestern Bell as an operator for 2 ½ years.

          Joan was united in marriage to Marvin D. Christensen on February 18, 1950 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach.

          The couple farmed near Wolbach for 60 years.

          They moved to St. Paul in 2010.  Her husband Marvin died on April 24, 2014.  Joan continued to live in St. Paul for the remainder of her life.

          Joan liked to bake rolls and chiffon cakes, do quilting and she also volunteered for 4-H.  She loved to visit with family and friends and looked forward to her cousins getting together for reunions.

          She was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church of Wolbach and currently a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of St. Paul; Wolbach American Legion Auxiliary and a local extension club.

          Survivors include two sons and a daughter-in-law, Terry and Barb Christensen of North Loup and Randy Christensen and Brenda Lieb; of Wolbach; three daughters and sons-in-law, Marliss and Lewis Barth of Dannebrog, Cheryl and Randy Kosmicki of Grand Island, and Valerie and Gene Killinger of St. Paul; 14 grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren with another great grandchild expected in July; a brother and sister-in-law, Clayton and Geraldine Pedersen of St. Paul; four sisters and three brothers-in-law, Shirley and Ed Lanka and Lola Sperling of St. Paul, Loraine and George Wozniak of Evans, CO and Kathryn and Emil Dubas of Fullerton; numerous nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law, Beverly Redwine of Grand Island.

          She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Marvin; a sister, Phyllis Gebhardt; and a nephew, David Dubas.

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