obituaries

Rose Christenson

Jerseyville |

Rose M. Lawson Christensen, 77, went to be with the Lord at 2:50 p.m., Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at Willow Rose Rehab & Health Care in Jerseyville, with her family at her bedside.She was born Aug. 1, 1933 in Jersey County, the daughter of the late Harry Leslie & Leola Dale (Prine) Herring.Rose first married Bernard William Lawson on Aug. 24, 1950 in Pocahontas, Arkansas.  Together they had four daughters and shared 38 years together before his death on April 25, 1988.  She later married Gary Christensen on Aug. 20, 1993 in Godfrey, and they were blessed with nearly seventeen years together before his death on June 22, 2010.She attended a variety of one room schoolhouses in the Jersey County/Brighton area, and education was important to her, and she was proud of obtaining her GED later in her life.  She enjoyed working, and throughout her life she had worked for Principia College, Beverly Farms, Owens-Illinois and McDonnell-Douglas (Boeing), where she retired as "Rosie the Riveter" in 1993.She was a past member of the Bethel United Methodist Church in Dow and later became affiliated with the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Godfrey.  Rose enjoyed reading, puzzles, and her beautiful flower gardens, but saved her biggest love for bluebirds.Surviving are her four daughters & sons in law, Patti & Patrick Kallal of Valparaiso, In., Andrea Keene of Jerseyville, Stacy & Steve "Bud" Zipprich of Jerseyville, and Tammy & Darrin Kaufmann of Dow; two stepchildren, Lisa Olsen, and her companion Todd Barts of Columbia, Mo., and Dawn Bickerstaff, and her husband, George of Hope, Ark.; 12 Grandchildren; five step grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; a brother & sister in law, Harold & Louise Herring of Alton; a step sister, Linda Wallace of Little Rock, Ark., a sister in law, Mary Lawson of Texas;  a brother in law, Norman Christensen of Leesville, La.; an aunt, Mary Westfall of St. Jacob; and a uncle, Ray Cummings of Delhi.In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by a step brother, Raymond Timpe; and her aunt Dottie Cummings, who she truly adored.Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, where funeral services will be conducted at 9 a.m., Saturday.  Rev. Donald Stribling will officiate.Burial will be in the East Newbern Cemetery in Dow.Memorials may be given to the Willow Rose Rehab & Health Care Facility in Jerseyville.


Obit Provided By:
Crawford Funeral Home

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