Merrill Grant Christensen, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away March 27, 2009 at the age of 92.
He was born in Richfield, Utah, on July 3, 1916 to Sarah Curtis and Archie Bert Christensen, the oldest of six children. His youth was spent in Richfield and Aurora, UT where he spent many happy hours working with his uncles on their farms. This is where he started developing one of his favorite life philosophies, that "Work is more fun than fun!"
He was happiest when he was working. After high school graduation he attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah before serving a mission in Norway for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When he returned from his mission he completed his BS at BYU in Provo, Utah, where he met and married Aenone Woolf. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 12, 1941. They would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday, 2009.
After a short time teaching school in Duchesne, Utah and having previously passed the Civil Service test, he moved with his wife to San Antonio, Texas to teach meteorology to Air Force pilots at Randolph Field.
While in San Antonio he became a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and served as commander of a weather station in Europe during WWII. He received an honorable discharge as a Captain in the USAF and then attended Dental School in San Francisco, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he completed his degree in 1951.
After practicing dentistry in snowy Provo, Utah for one year he and Aenone started looking for sunnier climes and arrived in Mesa on New Year's Day, 1953 with 4 daughters. Another daughter was born in Mesa. Dr. Christensen has lived a life filled with service to his family, church, and community.
He served as a bishop for more than eleven years; he also served as a member of a Stake Presidency, and as a Stake Patriarch. He enjoyed serving two separate terms as a member of the Maricopa County Community College Board.
After retiring from his dental practice in 1985, he and Aenone served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission. After returning home to Mesa both served as temple ordinance workers for many years.
He had a deep love for the Savior and served faithfully wherever he was called.
He is survived by his wife, Aenone; daughters: Berit Frank Purcell - Mojave, California, Kathryn - Midvale, Utah, Karen - Mesa, Janice Larry Metcalf - South Ogden, Utah, and Marilyn Dennis Ellsworth - Mesa. He has 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother John Gail, in Fort Myers, Florida, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters: Glenn Melba, Thera Howard Johnson, Iva Roi Wall, and Jim Helen.
Services will be held at the Mesa 20th Ward building, 848 N. Westwood on Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00 AM. There will be a visitation on Wednesday evening April 1st, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at 848 N. Westwood, and from 10:00 - 10:45 Thursday morning. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made online to www.ldsphilanthrophies.org for the Humanitarian Fund or the Perpetual Education Fund for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meldrum Mortuary is handling arrangements. Sign the Guest book at eastvalleytribune.com
Published in the East Valley Tribune on 4/1/2009
He was born in Richfield, Utah, on July 3, 1916 to Sarah Curtis and Archie Bert Christensen, the oldest of six children. His youth was spent in Richfield and Aurora, UT where he spent many happy hours working with his uncles on their farms. This is where he started developing one of his favorite life philosophies, that "Work is more fun than fun!"
He was happiest when he was working. After high school graduation he attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah before serving a mission in Norway for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When he returned from his mission he completed his BS at BYU in Provo, Utah, where he met and married Aenone Woolf. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 12, 1941. They would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday, 2009.
After a short time teaching school in Duchesne, Utah and having previously passed the Civil Service test, he moved with his wife to San Antonio, Texas to teach meteorology to Air Force pilots at Randolph Field.
While in San Antonio he became a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and served as commander of a weather station in Europe during WWII. He received an honorable discharge as a Captain in the USAF and then attended Dental School in San Francisco, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he completed his degree in 1951.
After practicing dentistry in snowy Provo, Utah for one year he and Aenone started looking for sunnier climes and arrived in Mesa on New Year's Day, 1953 with 4 daughters. Another daughter was born in Mesa. Dr. Christensen has lived a life filled with service to his family, church, and community.
He served as a bishop for more than eleven years; he also served as a member of a Stake Presidency, and as a Stake Patriarch. He enjoyed serving two separate terms as a member of the Maricopa County Community College Board.
After retiring from his dental practice in 1985, he and Aenone served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission. After returning home to Mesa both served as temple ordinance workers for many years.
He had a deep love for the Savior and served faithfully wherever he was called.
He is survived by his wife, Aenone; daughters: Berit Frank Purcell - Mojave, California, Kathryn - Midvale, Utah, Karen - Mesa, Janice Larry Metcalf - South Ogden, Utah, and Marilyn Dennis Ellsworth - Mesa. He has 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother John Gail, in Fort Myers, Florida, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters: Glenn Melba, Thera Howard Johnson, Iva Roi Wall, and Jim Helen.
Services will be held at the Mesa 20th Ward building, 848 N. Westwood on Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00 AM. There will be a visitation on Wednesday evening April 1st, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at 848 N. Westwood, and from 10:00 - 10:45 Thursday morning. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made online to www.ldsphilanthrophies.org for the Humanitarian Fund or the Perpetual Education Fund for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meldrum Mortuary is handling arrangements. Sign the Guest book at eastvalleytribune.com
Published in the East Valley Tribune on 4/1/2009
Merrill Grant Christensen, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away March 27, 2009 at the age of 92.
He was born in Richfield, Utah, on July 3, 1916 to Sarah Curtis and Archie Bert Christensen, the oldest of six children. His youth was spent in Richfield and Aurora, UT where he spent many happy hours working with his uncles on their farms. This is where he started developing one of his favorite life philosophies, that "Work is more fun than fun!"
He was happiest when he was working. After high school graduation he attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah before serving a mission in Norway for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When he returned from his mission he completed his BS at BYU in Provo, Utah, where he met and married Aenone Woolf. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 12, 1941. They would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday, 2009.
After a short time teaching school in Duchesne, Utah and having previously passed the Civil Service test, he moved with his wife to San Antonio, Texas to teach meteorology to Air Force pilots at Randolph Field.
While in San Antonio he became a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and served as commander of a weather station in Europe during WWII. He received an honorable discharge as a Captain in the USAF and then attended Dental School in San Francisco, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he completed his degree in 1951.
After practicing dentistry in snowy Provo, Utah for one year he and Aenone started looking for sunnier climes and arrived in Mesa on New Year's Day, 1953 with 4 daughters. Another daughter was born in Mesa. Dr. Christensen has lived a life filled with service to his family, church, and community.
He served as a bishop for more than eleven years; he also served as a member of a Stake Presidency, and as a Stake Patriarch. He enjoyed serving two separate terms as a member of the Maricopa County Community College Board.
After retiring from his dental practice in 1985, he and Aenone served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission. After returning home to Mesa both served as temple ordinance workers for many years.
He had a deep love for the Savior and served faithfully wherever he was called.
He is survived by his wife, Aenone; daughters: Berit Frank Purcell - Mojave, California, Kathryn - Midvale, Utah, Karen - Mesa, Janice Larry Metcalf - South Ogden, Utah, and Marilyn Dennis Ellsworth - Mesa. He has 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother John Gail, in Fort Myers, Florida, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters: Glenn Melba, Thera Howard Johnson, Iva Roi Wall, and Jim Helen.
Services will be held at the Mesa 20th Ward building, 848 N. Westwood on Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00 AM. There will be a visitation on Wednesday evening April 1st, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at 848 N. Westwood, and from 10:00 - 10:45 Thursday morning. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made online to www.ldsphilanthrophies.org for the Humanitarian Fund or the Perpetual Education Fund for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meldrum Mortuary is handling arrangements. Sign the Guest book at eastvalleytribune.com
Published in the East Valley Tribune on 4/1/2009
He was born in Richfield, Utah, on July 3, 1916 to Sarah Curtis and Archie Bert Christensen, the oldest of six children. His youth was spent in Richfield and Aurora, UT where he spent many happy hours working with his uncles on their farms. This is where he started developing one of his favorite life philosophies, that "Work is more fun than fun!"
He was happiest when he was working. After high school graduation he attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah before serving a mission in Norway for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When he returned from his mission he completed his BS at BYU in Provo, Utah, where he met and married Aenone Woolf. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 12, 1941. They would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday, 2009.
After a short time teaching school in Duchesne, Utah and having previously passed the Civil Service test, he moved with his wife to San Antonio, Texas to teach meteorology to Air Force pilots at Randolph Field.
While in San Antonio he became a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and served as commander of a weather station in Europe during WWII. He received an honorable discharge as a Captain in the USAF and then attended Dental School in San Francisco, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he completed his degree in 1951.
After practicing dentistry in snowy Provo, Utah for one year he and Aenone started looking for sunnier climes and arrived in Mesa on New Year's Day, 1953 with 4 daughters. Another daughter was born in Mesa. Dr. Christensen has lived a life filled with service to his family, church, and community.
He served as a bishop for more than eleven years; he also served as a member of a Stake Presidency, and as a Stake Patriarch. He enjoyed serving two separate terms as a member of the Maricopa County Community College Board.
After retiring from his dental practice in 1985, he and Aenone served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission. After returning home to Mesa both served as temple ordinance workers for many years.
He had a deep love for the Savior and served faithfully wherever he was called.
He is survived by his wife, Aenone; daughters: Berit Frank Purcell - Mojave, California, Kathryn - Midvale, Utah, Karen - Mesa, Janice Larry Metcalf - South Ogden, Utah, and Marilyn Dennis Ellsworth - Mesa. He has 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother John Gail, in Fort Myers, Florida, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters: Glenn Melba, Thera Howard Johnson, Iva Roi Wall, and Jim Helen.
Services will be held at the Mesa 20th Ward building, 848 N. Westwood on Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00 AM. There will be a visitation on Wednesday evening April 1st, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at 848 N. Westwood, and from 10:00 - 10:45 Thursday morning. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made online to www.ldsphilanthrophies.org for the Humanitarian Fund or the Perpetual Education Fund for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meldrum Mortuary is handling arrangements. Sign the Guest book at eastvalleytribune.com
Published in the East Valley Tribune on 4/1/2009
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
