Christine Damm Christensen

Biography

Born in Aalborg, Denmark to Johannes Martinus Christensen and Oline Johanne Svendsen, Christine married Sophus Christian Christensen of Hjorring in 1906. The two converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while still in Denmark; in 1910, Sophus emigrated to the Gunnison Valley in Utah, and the following year Christine joined him with their children Charles Lister and Viola Olene. Both Sophus, a talented violinist who frequently performed solos at community events, and Christine, a devoted member of the Church who constantly served in various callings, quickly became beloved members of the community; in addition to participating in events for the wider Gunnison community, Christine also remained active in the local Scandinavian community, including traveling south from Centerfield to Redmond to attend “Scandinavian gatherings” hosted by an Ole Larsen. In 1928, tragedy struck Christine’s family when her 11-year-old son Lester was killed in a farming accident as the child attempted to calm a team of spooked horses and ended up being crushed under the wagon the horses drew. Christine remained active in the community and the Church until her death of a stroke in 1939 at the age of fifty.