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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obituary: Christensen, Lydia

Age 98

CHRISTENSEN, Lydia (Age 98) Of St. John passed away on November 29, 2013 at Community Pride Assisted Living in St. John.

Friends may pay their respects at Bruning Funeral Home on Thursday and Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00am on Saturday at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax.

Vault interment will follow at the Endicott Cemetery.

Lydia was born on February 20, 1915 at Endicott, Washington to Conrad and Mary (Rohl) Blumenshein.

She attended school in St. John and finished in the 8th grade.

She married Norman J. Christensen on May 27, 1935 at Spokane.

The couple lived and raised their children in St. John and with the exception of some years early in their marriage (and again in the 1960s) Lydia and Norman made St. John their home.

Lydia was a wonderful homemaker and a caring mother.

Money was tight when her children were young and she made many of their beautiful clothes.

Her daughter Rosemary recalls that when she would see clothes on trips to Spokane, Lydia would sketch out what it looked like and would sew it herself when they returned home.

She was a wonderful cook and she will be remembered for her flavorful and hearty soups.

When her children were young she would always prepare a roast beef for Sunday dinner and her kitchen was always filled with love.

She was a mother to most of the children of the neighborhood during the summer months and often you could find Lydia feeding lunch to the neighborhood children in between their breaks from swimming.

Lydia was a true lady, always dressed properly and her outfits were accented with many unique pieces of jewelry.

She will be remembered for her grace, elegance and never uttering a dirty word.

After Norman passed away in 1987 she traveled extensively with her daughters taking many trips to Canada as well as a long roadtrip from the eastern seaboard, through the south and then back home with a brief pit-stop in Las Vegas.

Lydia is survived by her daughters Darlene Young, Rosemary Taylor and Sharon (Ron) Howard; grandchildren Donna (Bob) Bowen, Royce (Lisa) Taylor, Sandy Howard, Julie Greear, Ronnie (Chris) Howard, Doug Howard, Julie Reeves and Susan Kirton; 14 great-grandsons and five great-granddaughters as well as 10 great-great-grandchildren and sister Alvena Schneider.

She was preceded in death by her husband Norman; son Kenneth; grandson Steve Hart as well as her brothers John, Dan and Loren Blumenshein.

Memorial contributions in Lydia’s memory are suggested to the St. John EMTs or Friends of Hospice.

BRUNING FUNERAL HOME of COLFAX has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.

Online condolences may be left at www.bruningfuneralhome.com.