Robert Zaugg Christensen

Robert Z. (Bob) Christensen passed away on June 24, 2023. He was born March 14, 1936, in the Old Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, a son of Hazel Marriott and John Albert Staples. About 10 days later, he was adopted by Wallace S. and Eva Zaugg Christensen of Syracuse, Utah.

He was raised in Syracuse on the family farm and educated in the Davis County school system. He later attended Weber Junior College in Ogden.

He spent 30 years with Pillsbury’s Best Feeds serving as a Livestock Feed Specialist traveling throughout the Inter-Mountain West. He spent 10 years as the assistant manager of the Ogden feed mill, retiring in 1991. 

In 1973, working nights and weekends, he took over the family farm specializing in produce, particularly chili peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, and melons. 

In 1985, he began writing and reciting Cowboy Poetry traveling throughout the Western States and Canada. He participated in the early years of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada and spent the summer of 1992 opening the show for the Bar J Wranglers in Jackson, Wyoming.

He was proud to receive the first Spirit of The West award from the Ogden Chamber of Commerce as recognition for producing the Ogden Cowboy Poetry program for 13 years at Union Station.

Dad loved the West and the Western lifestyle. He always had a great sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh and could find humor in most any situation. This is evidenced in the nearly 150 Cowboy Poems he has left for us. Dad loved life and made it more enjoyable for the rest of us.

In 1956, he married the love of his life, Laurie Springer, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They spent the next 64 years together raising kids, spending countless hours at ball parks with kids and grandkids, cemetery hopping, and enjoying Hyde Tours until her death in December of 2019. They spent most of their years in Syracuse and the last 6 in St. George.  Since her death he has lived in North Ogden. 

Bob is survived by his son, Jeff (Dorine) of Syracuse; daughters, Shelly Hogan (Dave) of Salt Lake, Kimberley Isaacson (Ron) of Syracuse, and Lisa Crown (Rob) of Layton; daughter-in-law, Colleen Christensen of North Ogden; 22 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild. Also surviving is his half-sister, Karen Wallace of Brigham City; and two half-brothers, Jack Moor of Malad and Jack Staples of Crescent City. He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Laurie; son, Curt Christensen; his brother, Richard Christensen; a great-grandson, Jaxson Scott; and a half-sister, Julie Beltram.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Lindquist’s Syracuse Mortuary, 869 South 2000 West, Syracuse, Utah. Friends may visit with the family on Saturday from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. at the mortuary.  Interment, Syracuse City Cemetery, 1250 South 1000 West, Syracuse, UT.

Condolences may be shared, and live streaming of the services may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Bob’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com.

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