Calvin Thomas Christensen

Calvin Thomas Christensen, 85, died Moses Lake, Grant Co. Washington on Saturday September 26, 2009 at 1:30 A.M.

Calvin was born the fourth of five children to Thomas Cleveland Christensen and Nellie May Vohland on May 31, 1924 in Meadow, Millard Co. Utah. To his friends and family, he was known as Cal.

He spent his youth growing up in Cedar City and Provo, Utah. In 1932 at the age of eight Calvin contracted Spinal Meningitis. For the next two years Cal was bedridden, suffering very high fevers and spending weeks at a time in comatose states. Thanks to many prayers and the loving persistance and care of his parents, Calvin lived while many others died from the disease. As he recovered from the disease, Cal needed to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, and many other life skills that most of us take for granted. The disease deformed his feet which affected Cal’s balance and caused pain in his legs and hips for the rest of his life. Prior to the disease Calvin was a chubby, mischievious little boy, following the disease, Cal was timid, frail and very skinny, traits which followed him for the rest of his life. In 1943 Cal was drafted into the Army, but upon his medical examination he was dismissed due to the condition of his feet. He spent the rest of the War in a Swedge Factory manufacturing ammunition for the ‘Boys in the Field’. Calvin was a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

On August 25th, 1953 Calvin married Carrol Marie Duke at the LDS Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Calvin and Carrol’s two sons were born in Murray, Utah and in 1967 the family moved to Moses Lake, Washington where they lived since.

Cal made his career of nearly thirty years with American Potato Company, now known as Basic American Foods in Moses Lake, WA. He worked as a Flumer there for many, many years.

Cal obtained great comfort from his pet dogs. He would generally obtain a single puppy and make that a member of the family until the dog would pass away, then Cal would start over with a new little puppy. He was a train buff, enjoyed working with wood, and frequently engaged in political and religious discussions, oftentimes for entertainment. He loved and found a great amount of joy in his eight grandchildren.

Calvin is survived by his sons Kimball and wife Melissa of Seattle, WA, John and wife Lena of Moses Lake, WA. Grandchildren Samantha Renee, Ian Michael, Sara Rachelle, Cari Elizabeth, Mathew Lewis, Jameson, Holly Ann and Chandra Rae. Calvin is further survived by a sister, Mary Adams of Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Calvin was preceded in death by his dear wife Carrol, his parents, brothers Clifford Emmanuel Christensen and Norman Vohland Christensen and sister Margaret Mary Jones.

Calvin’s family expresses tremendous gratitude to those who have cared for him over the many years of his battles with Organic Brain Syndromes and Alzheimer’s Symptoms, including Dennis Kearns M.D., the wonderfully kind, understanding and caring staff at Hearthstone Inn and Lakeridge Care Center in Moses Lake, WA.

Viewing will be held Tuesday September 29, 2009 from 5pm to 7pm. at Kayser’s Chapel of Memories 831 S. Pioneer Way in Moses Lake, WA. Interment will be at the Provo City Pioneer Memorial Cemetery at 610 South State Street in Provo, Utah with a graveside service there on Friday October 2, 2009 at 2pm with the assistance of Walker Sanderson Mortuary of Orem, Utah.