Contributions to the tribute of Eric Christenson

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The family of Eric Christenson uploaded a photo

Monday, January 4, 2016

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The family of Eric Christenson uploaded a photo

Monday, January 4, 2016

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The family of Eric Christenson uploaded a photo

Monday, January 4, 2016

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Bob Conrad posted a condolence

Thursday, November 21, 2013

my deepest sympathy on Eric's passing. I knew him well and he always had a big smile for me. I will miss him.

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Tracy Dean (Kneeland) posted a condolence

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I met Eric in 1984 when he was one of the chaperones on a 4-H trip that I attended in the summer of '84 for two weeks to the NWT. Eric proved to be a great chaperone, fun and full of stories, but also just tough enough to keep a group of 14 teenagers in line for two weeks! I again thought of Eric many times since then, as I looked through the photo album of the trip or when something would trigger a trip memory. My sympathies are extended to his family for their loss.

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Anonymous posted a condolence

Sunday, November 10, 2013

(Jane:) It's is hard to put 78 years of someone's life into a few minutes,so we won't even try. We will share a few thoughts and memories from our perspective as Eric's children. Being the oldest of 3 kids, I came into dad's life and he into mine when he was 31 years old. Dad had met mom through friends 4 years earlier and they married in mom's homeland of England in March of 1964 . They settled on the family farm south of Killam where dad farmed with his dad and mom was a nurse at the Killam hospital. After 2 years of marriage in January of 1966 I was born. My beautiful sister, Anna, came along in July of 1967 and my awesome brother Andy, was born in March of 1971. I want to say we are a family of 5,but if you know our family, I don't ever remember it just being the 5 of us. Over the years we have had many other family members live under the roof at the farm. Then there were also the years that mom and dad took in foster children, so all of my life, family has meant more than just your siblings. So we want to acknowledge and thank each one of you "extended" family members and the many friends here today,as we remember and celebrate Eric. Dad has meant a lot,to many people, over his lifetime. Each one of us here have our own perspectives and memories of Eric. However....For me...his eldest daughter,....Dad was ALWAYS! a symbol of strength and steadfastness. He showed this in the way he lived his life everyday. And I believe some of you would also agree, that Dad's love of family, friends and community was very evident to many people. (Anna:) Gifts are what I think of when I think of my dad. It wasn't the material things that dad thought were important in life, but it was the gifts from the heart that he valued. Dad was a very kind man who gave of himself so freely. Uncle Alan shared with us this week that his brother, Eric,was a "rock" for him all of his life,...strong and selfless... and he knew that he could always count on Eric for anything he needed. Dad loved both his brothers dearly. He always enjoyed it when Uncle Alan would come home to the farm for a visit or when he and mom would drive up to Lac La Biche to see his brother. Dad was also a strong role model and advocate for his brother Lyle. Dad was selfless when it came to helping anyone. When someone needed something, dad was always there to offer support. He would often lay aside his own needs to help someone else. Dad used to say, "If someone has a greater need than you do then why wouldn't you offer them your support." If we ever questioned Dad about whether he should keep helping people as much as he did, he would always say, "life is a long road." He would encourage others he helped, to pay it forward. Dad was a strong man, with strong values. He stood for what he believed to be right even if it felt uncomfortable to others. His philosophy was, "If it was the right thing to do, then just do it without worrying about what others think." Staying true to your hearts' convictions was very important to him and he made sure that we understood that. (Jane:) I remember, when growing up, that both mom and dad were early risers. Dad believed in a hard day's work, so Mom always had breakfast on the table for him early, before he headed out the door to work in the shop , in the field or if he was going out to do chores. Mom's example of demonstrating love and devotion to her husband did not go unnoticed by us kids and we know that Dad appreciated it. Being a mixed farmer for a number of years meant that the work was never done. As many of you know,"there is no life, like the life of a farmer." The hours are long and you are dependent on so many things that seem outside of your control,like the weather and the price of grain or cattle. Even in the years where hail or drought took its toll on the harvest, dad always remained hope-filled, trusting that the Lord would see us through and the next year would be better. As we were sharing memories this week,Andy and I were talking about how dad and him are quite a bit alike. Andy and dad shared a very strong bond as father and son. Dad will always be part of Andy. Andy shared this week that"The gift that Dad gave me was the man that I have become." Dad adored his son. And I know even now Dad is watching and smiling over him and his family. Andy learned his strong work ethic and sense of responsibility from Dad, and as such, Andy was able to start taking part of the crop off at a very early age without Dad present. They worked alongside each other ,like a well oiled machine, often anticipating what was needed without having to say a word. However, Andy was laughing and remembering this week how often a 30 minute trip to town to pick up parts, would usually turn into a 3 hour thing, as dad would run into people he knew and strike up a conversation. Andy credits Dad instilling in him the virtue of persevering even when things are challenging. "Rome wasn't built in a day" is something he would often say. In other words, if you have a goal in mind, no matter how grand, keep at it, day by day and you will get there. (Anna:) Dad had such patience when it came to fixing or building something. He was persistent in problem solving and finding creative solutions. His mastery of welding and mechanical skills was a huge asset on the farm that many others enjoyed the benefits of as well. I adored my dad and as a young girl I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. Although, sometimes I felt like a 3rd wheel with Dad and Andy. I would tag along when he went out to the field asking a million questions about everything. This was rather trying for Dad as we were crawling under the cultivator changing shovels, as many other farmers would attest to, this was not the nicest job to do. But Dad imparted the gift of patience, listening to my every word. He truly made me feel that what I said mattered. Dad's craftsmanship extended beyond working with metals. He was a very fine carpenter. He handcrafted many heirlooms out of oak and pine for us kids and he made the beautiful crosses that hang on the walls of this church. Dad really enjoyed serving in the greater community.He helped establish the first Twice Nice Store in town with Raymond Lewis and he served many years on the Gas Co-op board, the Killam /Strome Co-op board and of course, the wonderful 4-H years, in the Merna beef and multi clubs, as well as, his support of us kids in the Killam 4-H Horse Club. Although Andy has commented that he never wants to see another horse again. That may be a challenge for him with his two little girls that love ponies. We are so thankful for the years of leadership that Dad role modelled for us in 4-H being a club leader for over 25 years. We are thankful for his investment of time driving us to 4-H achievement days, local fairs and horse shows. The 4-H motto was "Learn to Do by Doing," and dad taught us that as well. Dad was okay with us making mistakes, he believed in "hands on learning." You just don't talk the talk, you walk it out and if you stumble ...then you just get right back up again, dust yourself off and try again .You never give up! (Jane:) Each of us have such treasured memories of branding time each year. After we had all herded the cattle in from the pasture on horseback, Dad and Uncle George allowed us to rope the calves to be branded and run branding irons back and forth to them. I still remember our brand,lazy E C half diamond. I loved our family visits with Uncle George and Auntie Bernice,whether at our farm or theirs. I really enjoyed listening in on the conversations Dad and Uncle George would have about all sorts of things. I loved all the trips to the auction market for horse sales. I was always too chicken to bid myself so Uncle George or dad would bid for me. The honor and respect that we observed that Dad had for Uncle George and Auntie Bernice made all of us realize the importance of valuing and investing in relationships with your elders. (Anna:) Dad was also a great father-in-law, welcoming each of our spouses into our family with open arms. Mike and Ken have always respected dad knowing that he in turn respected them as men he trusted with his daughters. It was no different when Shelly came into Andy's life. Dad loved her from the start, enveloping her in one of his treasured bear hugs, when he first met her. Dad, Andy ,Mike and Ken shared a memorable, "Just the Men," fishing trip together a few years ago. Fishing was another love that Dad's dad had passed down to his sons so it was natural to him to share that with his own kids. The guys were laughing this week as whenever the whole family went camping together,Dad would oversee the campfire building every time. The Grandkids have benefited from that though as each one of them received the lesson and could build a campfire if they had to. Dad would bring out his trusty pocket knife to whittle some kindling or for a wiener stick once the fire was going. That pocket knife was always in Dad's pocket at the ready for any thing that needed cutting or opening. The grandkids really brought out Dad's tender side. From the time they were born, sitting with Grandpa on his lap or him listening to their stories enveloped them in love. Mom and Dad drove many many miles to watch concerts, theatre productions and sport games that the grandkids were in and then would turn around and drive all the way home again. Such devotion has instilled a real sense of value in them,that who they are matters. (Jane) We were always a church going family. Mom and dad realized the importance of laying a faith foundation for us kids from the time that we were young. Both mom and dad served faithfully at most of the church gatherings As a little girl, I often thought that God Himself must be like my dad, strong ,faithful, kind & loving AND someone to be deeply respected and honoured. One of my fondest memories I have of dad in church, is of him singing. Dad really enjoyed singing with the church choir and to sing the hymns with the congregation. I loved holding the hymn book with dad as a little girl, he would often trace the words with his finger to help me follow along. A few years ago, when I popped home for a visit ,I shared a hymnbook with dad one more time. It reminded me again of being that little girl standing next to her Daddy and my heart filled again with so much love for him and for our God, as we sang out, with the congregation of fellow believers. (Anna) I remember as a kid, I used to love when it was our turn, as a family to be responsible for doing certain things for church on Sundays; like taking up the offering or ringing the bell to signal to the community the start of the service. I was so excited when church was about to begin because it meant we got to ring the bell. I would beg Dad to let me ring the bell with him,he would pause to consider it and then seeing my desire to help,he would let me hang on to the end of the rope as he pulled it. Dad used to ring it and ring it and ring it and the minister would be ready to start the service and mom would be looking concerned as he would still be ringing the bell. I think that in Dad's mind if just one more person in town would hear the bell, which was really a call to worship,it was worth the extra ringing. (Jane) One of Dad's favorite parables that Jesus told was the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable tells of a man who was in need of someone to help him because he could not help himself and no one stopped to help him except this one Samaritan man. Dad took that parable to heart because Dad would stop to help anyone that needed it along his path,it didn't mater where Dad was going or if we were all with him, if someone was in need he would stop and help. Dad knew the importance of not only attending a church service on Sundays but that if you having a true faith, with the living God,it was to be demonstrated every day of your life. One of his other favorite parables was the the parable of the Prodigal Son, In this parable it illustrates the unconditional love and the forgiveness of the father towards a son that wants to do life on his own terms. I believe the parable touched Dad's heart so because it is a picture of our Heavenly Father continuing to love us despite our imperfections and all our mess ups. It illustrates that when we realize that we aren't perfect and that we need Him, that He forgives us and welcomes us back into relationship with Him with open arms. Being a Christian to dad, was not just a personal belief in his heart about having a personal relationship with God the Father, through Jesus Christ,but dad's faith was lived out in his daily living. I think that Dad really tried to live out the commandment that Jesus gave to ALL of us , "to first love the Lord your God with all your heart, and then your neighbor as you love yourself." (Anna) Relationships were very important to dad,he was a loving,faithful husband ,a strong,supportive brother,cousin and he was a very loyal and trustworthy friend and neighbor. The family thanks those of you that have showed your love and support over the last couple of years visiting with Mom and Dad, driving them to appointments and calling. It helped to ease some of the strain with Dad not being well. (Jane) We will all miss Dad's bear hugs that always made us feel so safe,secure, and loved . We will miss the sparkle in his eyes when he would see us and that joyful laugh that came up from his belly and lit up his whole face. We will certainly miss his physical presence at family gatherings BUT we remember that we WILL see him reflected in each other. We are comforted by the truth that we one day we WILL , see him again, face to face. We are thankful that because of his faith, in Jesus, that he is in Heaven now, rejoicing and singing with others that have passed on before. So we say "we miss you Dad,we love you and we will see you later."

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Henrietta Chugg posted a condolence

Saturday, November 9, 2013

To Eileen and families I always enjoyed Eric and was proud to call him my relative. Such a sweet man, who in turn married a sweet woman. I am so sorry for the hole left in your family by his death. I hope your leaning on each other at this sad time will help you through. Condolences, Henrietta

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Joan & David Page posted a condolence

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Dear Anna, Mike Hannah, Nick and Eileen, We want to express our sympathy for your loss and to let you all know that our thoughts are with you on this day. May peace and comfort find you during this difficult time.

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Judy McLean posted a condolence

Friday, November 8, 2013

Judy McLean purchased flowers (Love's Journey) Our Deepest sympathies..... Love Judy and Greg

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Judy & Greg McLean posted a condolence

Friday, November 8, 2013

Dear Anna, Mike, Nick, Hannah and Eileen our deepest sympathies on the passing of your dad, grandpa and husband....you are all in our thoughts and prayers. Hoping happier memories bring you some peace at this very difficult time. So wish we could be there with you. Love Judy & Greg

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Elin (Eldey) Jacobson posted a condolence

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Our thoughts & prayers are with you on the loss of your loved one. Dale & Elin & family

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Auntie Jean; Nadine,Fernie & Randy;Murray & Kathy; Mark & Elizabeth posted a condolence

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Auntie Jean; Nadine,Fernie & Randy;Murray & Kathy; Mark & Elizabeth made a donation to KILLAM KNOX UNITED CHURCH Eric was special to us. We share in your grief.

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Wheatland Staff posted a condolence

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Wheatland Staff made a donation to KILLAM AND DISTRICT HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION We hope the happy memories of your father comfort you and your family at this sad time. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Your Wheatland buddies

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David & Joan Page posted a condolence

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

David & Joan Page made a donation to KILLAM AND DISTRICT HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION In memory of Eric. We are very sorry to hear about your loss. From our family to yours, our most heartfelt sympathies.

In loving memory of

Eric

1935 - 2013