Our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend went home to his Heavenly Father on August 18, 2014. He was surrounded by his family.
Ken was born July 23, 1939 to Melvin and Wilma Christensen. He grew up on the family farm in Plentywood, MT and graduated from high school in 1957.
In the spring of 1963 he was injured in an industrial accident that resulted in the loss of both of his arms. Rather than letting this be a setback, he trudged on and eventually earned his Master’s Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation. He began his career with the state in 1975 as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, where he earned several awards including Employee of the Year in 1991 and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year in 1997. He retired from the state in 2000 as the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor /Supervisor in the Helena office. After a brief retirement, he went back to work for the MT Independent Living Project where he continued his work with people with disabilities.
Outside of work, he was always a busy man and had several projects going all the time. His favorite pastime was spending time with his wife, Marilyn. They loved to travel together and see the family and the country while driving along in their motorhome. He spent a lot of time in his woodshop and made several different benches, wishing wells and other projects that are now being loved by their various owners. Anything with a motor was also subject to tinkering and often included the myriad of vehicles and boats he “had to have” throughout the years. A large part of his life was his faith in God and studying the Bible. He applied this in his daily life by sharing his faith and helping others. He was always ready to lend a hand to someone in need with his time or knowledge. He loved people and his version of a good night was having company over to visit. His children and his grandchildren were treasures to him and were always included on camping and boating trips.
Ken was preceded in death by his sons, Kenneth “Buddy” Christensen Jr., Duane Royal, and Rodney Royal, and his parents Melvin and Wilma Christensen. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn and children; sons John, Melvin, James, Scott, Mark and Ryan and daughters Karen, Machelle, and Dawn. He leaves behind 7 amazing brothers and sisters, 28 Grandchildren and 21 Great-Grandchildren.
A memorial service celebrating Ken’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 23 at Hannaford Street Bible Church, 830 N. Hannaford St. A reception will follow the memorial service in the social hall at the church. In Lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Cancer Treatment Center at St. Peter’s Hospital, or to the Hospice of St. Peter’s at 2475 Broadway, Helena MT 59601, or you may also donate to The Gideons International at www.gideons.org.
Merry Lou Casteel says
We will miss our dear neighbor, Jack and I always enjoyed visiting with Ken. Rest in peace dear man.
Mary Kay Bogumill says
Dear Christensen Family,
I had the pleasure of working with Ken over many years. He was ever the advocate for his clients. He was very skilled and knowledgable and I learned a great deal from him over the years. Personally he was a wonderful man. We had many conversations about shared clients and exchanges of ideas. He had a lovely sense of humor and I always looked forward to the opportunity to visit with him. I am so sorry that he is gone. I will pray for him and you as I am certain you must miss him already.
With sincere sympathy,
Dr. Mary Kay Bogumill
Deb Klein says
As a special education teacher, I worked with Ken many times, transitioning Special Needs students into adult services. Ken had a heart of gold and was so wonderful to work with! He has a special place in my heart. Blessings to all his family! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sherri S. says
I was with a heavy heat I read of Ken’s passing. I remember in 1998 when I walked into the Vocational Rehabilitation office and met Ken. I was feeling sorry for myself because I had just lost my job and had to “start over” Ken was an inspiration to me and helped me get back on my feet. I now have a very successful job (since the year 2000) I owe that to Ken. He always had positive attitude and a kind word. I do not think Ken knew the word “disability”. RIP Ken, Heaven just received another special angel. Thank you Ken. God Bless.
Brenda Senne says
I am so sorry to hear of Ken’s passing. I know he was the anchor for his family. Now he is their angel. May God bless them all, and be with them during this difficult time.
Wally Melcher says
I am blessed to have known and worked with Ken for a number of years. He was very dedicated to the individuals with disabilities that he cared about and served. He truly had a “helping heart”. I pray for God’s richest blessing to be upon Ken and his family. Until we meet again my friend.
Maggie Bullock says
Ken….what a true gentleman and a very hard worker, especially on behalf of others. I was privileged to have worked with Ken and always listened to him when he spoke. And, what he said was usually an explanation of how to improve on a situation that was currently problematic.
I can only imagine Ken will be missed by his family and many friends and working colleagues. I saw and spoke with Ken and his wife at a Voc Rehab reunion last summer and will miss seeing him again.
Don Wark says
I had the good fortune of meeting Ken in 1989 after a back injury. He assisted me in obtaining funding towards retraining for a new career. Ken was very helpful and an inspiration to me and I consider him a friend. He was an honorable man always with a ‘hand’ stretched out to help his fellow men and women to achieve success. I will miss you my brother. My heart and prayers go out to your family and loved ones. God bless, Don
Janis Akre Hofman says
I was so pleased to finally find this on-line. I know Anita contacted my sister to let her know of Kenny’s passing. I always have that childhood memory of when he had his accident. Reading his obituary brought me joy in a time of sadness as I realize he faced adversity head-on, having a wonderful and fulfilling life. Though it has been years since the Carlson cousins have been together, we still talk about those family connections. May you find comfort in your memories of him and may they bring you peace as he lives in your hearts forever. My condolences. Jan