Obituary of Lis Christensen

Born on April 26, 1931 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lis was the older of two children. Lis lived in Denmark for 43 years raising her three children, Bente, Jan, and Jesper, from a previous marriage. Lis worked as a supervisor for a data company, which was owned by Bent Christensen. Through company functions, Lis got to know the Christensen family well and became good friends with Bent's sister, Ellen. Ellen insisted that Lis would be the perfect match for her brother, who was living in Canada. Ellen hosted an "engagement" party for Lis and Svend, unbeknownst to Svend, and six months later, in December 1972, the "couple" met for the first time. Four months later, Lis quit her job, threw her belongings and Jessie into the trunk, and moved to Killam, Alberta to become a farmer's wife. Lis and Svend were married on July 17, 1973. Lis quickly learned that life on the farm was vastly different from her life in Denmark, and her job description quickly grew. She became everything from Svend's right hand woman to gardener, bookkeeper, and master chef. As skilled as she was at cooking, Lis was unable to master the art of baking; she served many "pound" cakes, bookends, and treats that even the dog wouldn't eat, although she was an expert at making skinny pancakes and æbleskiver. Family was important to Lis, and her and Svend hosted many family get-togethers at their house, particularly around Christmas time. One special tradition during Christmas, among others, was creating and decorating gingerbread houses with her grandchildren. When Lis wasn't occupied with her family, she enjoyed sewing, knitting, quilting, and bowling. She and Svend also enjoyed traveling, and they visited many places together in North America, Europe, and Australia. Lis passed away peacefully on July 22, 2014, after a brief battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband Svend, brother Ove Rasmussen (Yvonne), Denmark, daughter Bente Lunty (Melvin), Sedgewick, AB, sons Jan Nielsen, Denmark, and Jesper Nielsen (Meredith), Killam, AB, grandchildren Tina Lunty, Denmark, Anders Lunty (Michelle), Edmonton, AB, Nikkie Kryger, Denmark, Lasse Nielsen, Denmark, Chelsea Nielsen, Strathmore, AB, Brittany Nielsen, Camrose, AB, Alex Nielsen, Killam, AB, and great-grandchildren Piper Lunty, Edmonton, AB, Loa Kryger, Denmark, and Oliver Lunty, Edmonton, AB. A memorial service will be held at the Sedgewick United Church, in Sedgewick, AB, on Saturday, August 2 at 11:00 a.m. Donations may be made to STARS, The Cross-Cancer Institute, or to a charity of one's choice.