Vern Christensen

Vern N. Christensen

Our beloved husband and father, Vern N Christensen, age 90, passed away on January 1, 2015 at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful, Utah.

Vern was born June 30, 1924, in Fossil, Lincoln County, Wyoming, to Martin and Sarah Edna Porter Christensen.  Vern married Ruth Evelyne Pierotti on March 26, 1946 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.  She passed away on November 9, 1987.  He later married Gayle Page Jarvis in the Salt Lake LDS Temple for time on January 27, 1990.

After graduating from Davis High School in June of 1942, he started his work profession as a Tool and Die Maker.  His work was interrupted when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in June of 1943.  He spent all but 39 days of this time in England, France, and Germany.  He was given an honorable discharge in March 1946.  He was honored to be part of the large group of service men of World War II.  Even though he had three years experience, he served a complete four years apprentice as a Tool and Die Maker under the direction of Carl M Roestenburg Sr.  He was in supervision at least sixty percent of his employment years with C M Roestenburg and Son, Stokermatic Margetts Tool, Bish Sheet Metal Fabrication, Bourns Network and General Telephone Co.  He was well respected in the tooling and manufacturing industries He was also given his papers as a Tool and Die Mold Maker in 1981, while with General Telephone.  He was foreman of the month in the National Foreman Magazine. He also edited sixty-seven Human Relation’s discussions to be used in training.  He was a fast pitch softball pitcher for about 20 years in the Bountiful area.  Throughout his adult life he was very active in the LDS Church serving as Elder Quorum President and High Priest group leader.  He also served as a counselor in two bishoprics and the first bishop of the Bountiful 57 ^th Singles Ward.  He was counselor and President of the Heritage Retirement Center Branch in the Bountiful Utah South Stake.  He also served as a Sunday school and Primary Teacher with his wife Gayle.  He and his wife Ruth served an eighteen-month mission in the Alaska Anchorage Mission from July 1981 to January 1983.  While serving on their mission he was executive secretary to the mission president for a time and also was Branch President of the Seward Branch in Seward, Alaska for several months as well as a missionary.  He was a faithful ward and home teacher, since he became a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood at age fourteen.

Vern is survived by his wife Gayle Page Jarvis and his six children Vern P. (Jodi), Henderson, NV, Ruth E. (James) Larsen, Fairview, Charlie R. (Laura), St. George, Colleen Rushton, South Jordan, Leonida (Carey) Beckstead, and Layne M. (Sue), West Valley City, 25 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.  He is survived by three step-children, Linda (Rob) Eddington, Bountiful, Mary (JL) Thornton, Clearfield, and Alan P. (Sherry) Jarvis, Syracuse, 13 step-grandchildren, and 25 step-great-grandchildren, and sisters, Sarah C. Burns, Bountiful, Vivian Perkins, Omaha, NE, and brother, Robert H. Christensen, Blackfoot Idaho.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth, his father and mother, brother, Calvin P. Christensen, and sister, Mary Ellen Christensen and granddaughter, Laurie Ruth Larsen, stepson, Scott C. Jarvis, and step-grandson, John Thornton.

On Tuesday evening, January 6, 2015, a viewing will be held from 6 – 8 pm at the Lindquist's Bountiful Mortuary, 727 North 400 East.  Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at the Bountiful 25 ^th Ward, 1500 South 600 East.  A viewing will be held from 9:30 – 10:30 am prior to the service.  Interment will be at the Bountiful City Cemetery.