Obit: Christenson, James A. (1908 – 1965)

Contact: Betty Comstock

Email:  betty@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Christenson, Schelvan, Mike, Hills

----Source: Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark Co., Wis.) 08/19/1965

Christenson, James A.  (13 MAR 1908 – 19 AUG 1965)

James. A. Christenson, 57, Loyal died of a heart attack at 4 a.m. Thursday, August 19 at Red Lake, Ontario, Canada, where he and the Rev. Norbert E. King and two friends of Christenson in military service were vacationing.

Funeral services were conducted at 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 23 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Loyal.  Rev. Norbert E. King officiated at the Solemn Requiem High Mass and the Rev. Reinhold Theisen served as deacon.  Edward Meyer served as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Myre Funeral Home was in charge of the funeral arrangements and burial was made in the parish cemetery.

Mr. Christenson was born March 13, 1908 at Loyal, and attended St. Anthony’s Catholic School and was graduated from the Loyal High School in 1926.  As a young man he was employed in Milwaukee at Allis Chalmers.  After his marriage he returned to Loyal and managed the Viking Threatre for his brother, Frank until 1945.  The past 33 years he worked as a postal clerk at the Loyal Post Office.

He served as chief of the Loyal Fire Department for 25 years retiring from the department March, 1962.  He was associated with the Boy Scouts for many years, and eleven years as a scoutmaster.  At the time of his death he was connected with the Chippewa Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America, as Neighborhood Commissioner in the White Pine District.  He also was a member of the Order of the Arrow.  For the past 2 years he was a member of the city Council and the Clark County Board.

Mr. Christenson was very active in church affairs.  He served as recording secretary of our Lady of Fatima Council, Knights of Columbus of Loyal, Greenwood and Neillsville, was a past president of the Holy Name Society of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.

His marriage to Mathilda Schelvan, who survives, took place September 10, 1929, at Milwaukee.

Other survivors include a son, James, West Allis; two daughters, Mrs. Michael (Jeanne) Mike, Milwaukee; and Mrs. Donald (Janet) Hills, Loyal; six grandchildren; and a brother Frank Christenson, Madison.

He was preceded in death by a brother in 1920.

Members of the Loyal City Council served as pallbearers.  They were Frank Degenhardt, Lawrence Davel, Raymond Neuman, Dave McKenna, Bert Brown and William A. Theisen.

Attending the service in body were members of the Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus and Clark County officials and members of County Board.

Those attending the funeral from out of town were Mr. and Mrs. Ingval Schelvan, Mrs. John Thelen, Mrs. Thurlow Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Shymanski, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Schelvan, Mr. and Mrs. James Baker and family, Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Janowski, Mr. and Mrs. Gib Young, Mrs. Elmer Olson, Mrs. Gen Lovejoy, Mrs. Les Boleen, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mike, Mr. and Mrs. James Christenson and Mr. and Mrs. W. Sinclair, all of Milwaukee; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Schelvan and son, Mrs. David Schelvan, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hoesely and family, Mrs. Alma Bier, and Mr. and Mrs. August Johann, all of Wisconsin Rapids;

Miss Beverly Tucker, Phil Fabiano, Wausau; Mr. and Mrs. Lee Favreau, Stoughton; Mrs. Don Stabnow, Chetek; Mr. and Mrs. Matt Ryan, Mr. and Mrs. Victa Seeffich and George Jarvis, Helesboro, Oregon.

Others attending came from Eau Claire, Neillsville, Arcadia, Granton, Marshfield, Spencer, Haugen and Abbotsford.