Obit: Christensen, Harold K. (1909 - 1982)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Christensen, Fredrickson, Goldamer, Turner, Grambort, Schmidt, Schilling, Stewart, Schultz, Fink

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/18/1982

Christensen, Harold K. (28 October 1909 – 17 March 1982)

A well-known cattle buyer, real estate broker, auction coordinator and feedmill operator, Harold K. Christensen, 72, passed away on Wednesday morning, March 17. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Colby Clinic after transfer from his Abbotsford home. He had ben in ill health for the past several months.

The deceased was born on October 28, 1909, in Racine County to Louis and Bertha (Fredrickson) Christensen. He graduated from Racine High School. In 1938, he moved to Abbotsford where he worked as a cattle buyer for his father. In 1940, he started the Christensen Sales Corporation, which bought and sold cattle along with offering farm auction services. On February 8, 1941, he married Audrey Goldamer in Dubuque, Iowa, ceremonies.

In January of 1946, he and W. R. Grambort formed the Christensen-Grambort Corporation, which is now known as Christensen-Grambort- Schmidt, Inc. Also in the early 1940’s, he formed the L.C. Christensen Corporation, which dealt in real-estate and operating over 15 dairy farms in Clark, Marathon and Taylor Counties.

In 1972, Christiansen purchased the E.J. Crane Feed Mills in Owen and Abbotsford, which is now known as Christensen Feeds. Christensen was also one of the founders of the Abbotsford State Bank and served for many years on that institution’s board of directors, retiring in January of this year.

Christensen was a member of the Marshfield Elks, the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, Christ Lutheran Church and served as director of the Col. L.C. Christensen Religious and Charitable Foundation of Racine.

He is survived, besides his wife, by a son, Harold Jr., Abbotsford; two daughters, Mrs. F. (Mary Ann) Turner of Hartland and Carol Jean Christensen of Milwaukee; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother.

Funeral services were held on Saturday afternoon, March 20, from Christ Lutheran Church in Abbotsford with the Rev. Robin Fink officiating. Burial was made in Abbotsford; pallbearers were Ron and James Grambort, Ruben Schmidt, Noel Schilling, Leo Stewart and William Schulz.