MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER, 81
Services for Michael Christopher, who died January 7, 1996 at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 10 at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
Michael Christopher was born May 26, 1914 at Sykesville, Pennsylvania to John and Lucy Dominic Christopher. He attended school in Sykesville and later worked in the coal mines until moving to Winner, South Dakota in 1938.
He married Charlotte Mackaman in Winner May 26, 1941. They moved to Blair in August of 1942 and he worked for Templeton Ford Garage.
In 1945, he started the Christopher Body Shop and was active in the business until his death.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Blair Aeros and was a past member of the Blair Lions Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Rocky Christopher.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters and sons-in-law, Jane McCoy of Denver, Colorado; Judy and Michael Wilkin, Houston, Texas; and Don Oppliger, Farwell, Texas; a son and daughter-in-law, Rocky and Barbie Christopher, Vail, Colorado; grandchildren, Michael McCoy, Omaha; Molly McCoy, Denver; Tessa Wilkin and Mia Wilkin, both of Houston; Anna Christopher, Alison Christopher, and Stefan Christopher, Vail; Grant Oppliger and Benjamin Oppliger, Farwell; a brother, John Christopher, Blair and sisters, Betty Yusko, Vera Rayman and Edith Winkler, all of Detroit, Michigan.
Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
(Blair Pilot-Tribune, January 9, 1996, from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.)
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BLAIR BUSINESS COMMUNITY LOSES TWO BUSINESSMEN IN ONE WEEK
The Blair business community has lost two prominent businessmen in less than one week’s time. Mike Christopher, founder of Christopher’s Body Shop and Kelly Ryan, founder of the Kelly Ryan Equipment Company, passed away.
MIKE CHRISTOPHER, 81
[picture]
Services for Mike Christopher were held Wednesday morning, January 10.
Mike worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania before moving to Winner, South Dakota where he married his wife Charlotte. Mike then came to work in Blair for Templeton Ford before starting his own body shop in 1945.
Christopher was known for his skill in the repair business. He was also known for his love of flying and the extensive volunteer work he did for the Blair Airport. Mike was a self-appointed caretaker of the Airport and made sure the runway lights, the wind sock and the beacon were always working properly.
At age 81, he was out flying his Beechcraft sierra airplane less than two weeks before he was taken to the hospital with complications from malignancy treatments.
A complete obituary for Mike Christopher appeared in the January 9 issue of the Pilot-Tribune.
(published on January 11, 1996, source not identified.) ~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~
Services for Michael Christopher, who died January 7, 1996 at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 10 at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
Michael Christopher was born May 26, 1914 at Sykesville, Pennsylvania to John and Lucy Dominic Christopher. He attended school in Sykesville and later worked in the coal mines until moving to Winner, South Dakota in 1938.
He married Charlotte Mackaman in Winner May 26, 1941. They moved to Blair in August of 1942 and he worked for Templeton Ford Garage.
In 1945, he started the Christopher Body Shop and was active in the business until his death.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Blair Aeros and was a past member of the Blair Lions Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Rocky Christopher.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters and sons-in-law, Jane McCoy of Denver, Colorado; Judy and Michael Wilkin, Houston, Texas; and Don Oppliger, Farwell, Texas; a son and daughter-in-law, Rocky and Barbie Christopher, Vail, Colorado; grandchildren, Michael McCoy, Omaha; Molly McCoy, Denver; Tessa Wilkin and Mia Wilkin, both of Houston; Anna Christopher, Alison Christopher, and Stefan Christopher, Vail; Grant Oppliger and Benjamin Oppliger, Farwell; a brother, John Christopher, Blair and sisters, Betty Yusko, Vera Rayman and Edith Winkler, all of Detroit, Michigan.
Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
(Blair Pilot-Tribune, January 9, 1996, from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.)
------------------------------------------
BLAIR BUSINESS COMMUNITY LOSES TWO BUSINESSMEN IN ONE WEEK
The Blair business community has lost two prominent businessmen in less than one week’s time. Mike Christopher, founder of Christopher’s Body Shop and Kelly Ryan, founder of the Kelly Ryan Equipment Company, passed away.
MIKE CHRISTOPHER, 81
[picture]
Services for Mike Christopher were held Wednesday morning, January 10.
Mike worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania before moving to Winner, South Dakota where he married his wife Charlotte. Mike then came to work in Blair for Templeton Ford before starting his own body shop in 1945.
Christopher was known for his skill in the repair business. He was also known for his love of flying and the extensive volunteer work he did for the Blair Airport. Mike was a self-appointed caretaker of the Airport and made sure the runway lights, the wind sock and the beacon were always working properly.
At age 81, he was out flying his Beechcraft sierra airplane less than two weeks before he was taken to the hospital with complications from malignancy treatments.
A complete obituary for Mike Christopher appeared in the January 9 issue of the Pilot-Tribune.
(published on January 11, 1996, source not identified.) ~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~
MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER, 81
Services for Michael Christopher, who died January 7, 1996 at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 10 at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
Michael Christopher was born May 26, 1914 at Sykesville, Pennsylvania to John and Lucy Dominic Christopher. He attended school in Sykesville and later worked in the coal mines until moving to Winner, South Dakota in 1938.
He married Charlotte Mackaman in Winner May 26, 1941. They moved to Blair in August of 1942 and he worked for Templeton Ford Garage.
In 1945, he started the Christopher Body Shop and was active in the business until his death.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Blair Aeros and was a past member of the Blair Lions Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Rocky Christopher.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters and sons-in-law, Jane McCoy of Denver, Colorado; Judy and Michael Wilkin, Houston, Texas; and Don Oppliger, Farwell, Texas; a son and daughter-in-law, Rocky and Barbie Christopher, Vail, Colorado; grandchildren, Michael McCoy, Omaha; Molly McCoy, Denver; Tessa Wilkin and Mia Wilkin, both of Houston; Anna Christopher, Alison Christopher, and Stefan Christopher, Vail; Grant Oppliger and Benjamin Oppliger, Farwell; a brother, John Christopher, Blair and sisters, Betty Yusko, Vera Rayman and Edith Winkler, all of Detroit, Michigan.
Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
(Blair Pilot-Tribune, January 9, 1996, from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.)
------------------------------------------
BLAIR BUSINESS COMMUNITY LOSES TWO BUSINESSMEN IN ONE WEEK
The Blair business community has lost two prominent businessmen in less than one week’s time. Mike Christopher, founder of Christopher’s Body Shop and Kelly Ryan, founder of the Kelly Ryan Equipment Company, passed away.
MIKE CHRISTOPHER, 81
[picture]
Services for Mike Christopher were held Wednesday morning, January 10.
Mike worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania before moving to Winner, South Dakota where he married his wife Charlotte. Mike then came to work in Blair for Templeton Ford before starting his own body shop in 1945.
Christopher was known for his skill in the repair business. He was also known for his love of flying and the extensive volunteer work he did for the Blair Airport. Mike was a self-appointed caretaker of the Airport and made sure the runway lights, the wind sock and the beacon were always working properly.
At age 81, he was out flying his Beechcraft sierra airplane less than two weeks before he was taken to the hospital with complications from malignancy treatments.
A complete obituary for Mike Christopher appeared in the January 9 issue of the Pilot-Tribune.
(published on January 11, 1996, source not identified.) ~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~
Services for Michael Christopher, who died January 7, 1996 at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 10 at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
Michael Christopher was born May 26, 1914 at Sykesville, Pennsylvania to John and Lucy Dominic Christopher. He attended school in Sykesville and later worked in the coal mines until moving to Winner, South Dakota in 1938.
He married Charlotte Mackaman in Winner May 26, 1941. They moved to Blair in August of 1942 and he worked for Templeton Ford Garage.
In 1945, he started the Christopher Body Shop and was active in the business until his death.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Blair Aeros and was a past member of the Blair Lions Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Rocky Christopher.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters and sons-in-law, Jane McCoy of Denver, Colorado; Judy and Michael Wilkin, Houston, Texas; and Don Oppliger, Farwell, Texas; a son and daughter-in-law, Rocky and Barbie Christopher, Vail, Colorado; grandchildren, Michael McCoy, Omaha; Molly McCoy, Denver; Tessa Wilkin and Mia Wilkin, both of Houston; Anna Christopher, Alison Christopher, and Stefan Christopher, Vail; Grant Oppliger and Benjamin Oppliger, Farwell; a brother, John Christopher, Blair and sisters, Betty Yusko, Vera Rayman and Edith Winkler, all of Detroit, Michigan.
Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
(Blair Pilot-Tribune, January 9, 1996, from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.)
------------------------------------------
BLAIR BUSINESS COMMUNITY LOSES TWO BUSINESSMEN IN ONE WEEK
The Blair business community has lost two prominent businessmen in less than one week’s time. Mike Christopher, founder of Christopher’s Body Shop and Kelly Ryan, founder of the Kelly Ryan Equipment Company, passed away.
MIKE CHRISTOPHER, 81
[picture]
Services for Mike Christopher were held Wednesday morning, January 10.
Mike worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania before moving to Winner, South Dakota where he married his wife Charlotte. Mike then came to work in Blair for Templeton Ford before starting his own body shop in 1945.
Christopher was known for his skill in the repair business. He was also known for his love of flying and the extensive volunteer work he did for the Blair Airport. Mike was a self-appointed caretaker of the Airport and made sure the runway lights, the wind sock and the beacon were always working properly.
At age 81, he was out flying his Beechcraft sierra airplane less than two weeks before he was taken to the hospital with complications from malignancy treatments.
A complete obituary for Mike Christopher appeared in the January 9 issue of the Pilot-Tribune.
(published on January 11, 1996, source not identified.) ~~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~
Gravesite Details
Mother: Lucy Dominic; Father: John Christopher
Family Members
Parents
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