Raymond A. Christensen

NAME Raymond A. Christensen, age 89, of Plato Center, passed away suddenly at his home, Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Through the past year as his health declined, Raymond was always surrounded by the love of his family and now in the ensuing years it will be his love that will surround them. BORN: He was born May 7, 1918, the son Albert and Antonie (Nielsen) Christensen on a farm in rural Maple Park, IL. EARLY YEARS:Raymond grew up in Maple Park and graduated from high school in 1936. MARRIAGE In 1937 Raymond met a DeKalb graduate, Emogene Ruth Byerley, through mutual friends, and before long he found himself on her doorstep to take her dancing at Long’s Barn most every Saturday night. They were united in marriage September 28, 1940 at Emogene’s parents’ home north of Maple Park. RESIDENTIAL HISTORY: They began their new life together in Maple Park for a time before moving to St. Charles on New Years Eve, 1942, when their daughter was only six weeks old, and made a home on south Second Street. OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY Following his graduation from Maple Park High School, he began working at the Christensen’s Hatchery helping his aunt. He also spent time at Smith Color Plant where they ground iron ore to color cement. He then began working in St. Charles at Madsen’s Dairy. Farming was in his blood and in 1944 he followed his in-laws to Waterman where rented his own nearby farm which began his thirty year love affair with dairy farming. MEMBERSHIPS As dairy farmer, Raymond rarely had time for hobbies, but later found a peace with the Lord at Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Plato Center. LIFE NOTES Raymond was a man of strength and spirit who never backed down from a hard days work. He was a devoted farmer for many years. Up with the sun and sometimes before it, he worked all day tending his fields and livestock, especially his dairy cows. Raymond left the fields in 1974 but worked for the State of Illinois at the Elgin Mental Health Center for thirteen years as a truck driver for the Rehabilitation Program. Raymond and Emogene retired for good in April of 1986. Raymond proved in later years that old farmers never really retire, they just end up helping family and friends in their fields. In between helping in the fields, Emogene convinced him to do some traveling and before they were done, Raymond and Emogene had gone to Europe three times, Australia and 47 of the fifty states. SURVIVORS He now leaves his loving wife of 67 years, Emogene, Two children:Janice (Jim) Stout of Burlington andThomas (Ginny) Christensen of Allons, TN;Six grandchildren:Michael (fiancee Dee Scaffidi) Stout of Burlington, ILJeffrey Stout of Union, IL, John (Debbie) Stout of Marengo, IL, Carrie (Jeremy) Christensen Head and their daughter Lillian, of Louisville, KY, Andrew Christensen of Susanville, CA, and Daniel (fiancee Jessica Shuck) Christensen of Allons, TN;Three siblings:Velma Montgomery of DeKalb, IL Donald (Carole) Christensen of Galesburg, IL;Lois (Don) Hennig of Hampshire, IL Two sisters-in-law:Anne Christensen of Elgin, andJudy Christensen of Freeport, IL;Many nieces and nephews, cousins and a family of friends spanning the globe. PRECEDED He now joins his parents, one daughter, Joann, Christensen in infancy and one son Sgt. William Ray Christensen in Vietnam, 1969, and two brothers, Kenneth and Delbert Christensen, and brother-in-law, Everett Montgomery who preceded him in death. MEMORIAL The family has requested that no memorial be established, but tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at P. O. Box 66, Elburn, IL, 60119 or through www.conleycare.com.

Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, Friday, April 4, 2008. A funeral to celebrate his life will be held Saturday, April 5th, at 11 a.m. Rev. Paul Meyer, pastor of Cornerstone Church, a member of the Methodist Community, will officiate.

Interment will follow at Gardner Cemetery.