Frederick Christian Christensen

Frederick Christian Christensen, 87, died Friday, November 25, 2005, at Pisgah Manor Health Care Center. He is survived by his brother-in-law and friend, Lloyd A. Penley, four nieces, Sandra P. Purcell of Brevard, Phyllis P. Patton of Asheville, Veronica P. Crook of Candler, Janet Leman of Winston-Salem and two nephews, Michael Bogle of Sydney, Australia and Terry Norman of Winston-Salem. Mr. Christensen was born in Hartford, CT, in 1918, and educated at Trinity College, Hartford, taking a degree in physics in 1944. The first of two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hannah Hansen Christensen, Fred’s father was a notable carpenter working in the Hartford area early in the 20th century. Mr. Christensen moved to the Winston-Salem area to take a position with Western Electric (now Lucent) after several years employment on US government projects in Oak Ridge, TN. While in Winston-Salem, he met and married the vivacious redhead, Mildred Fulton Baldridge (1911-2002), a North Carolina native in 1958. After his retirement, the Christensens moved to Candler to be near Mildred’s closest relative, the Lloyd Penley family of Monte Vista Road. Mr. Christensen’s life was occupied with contract bridge, family, golfing at the Etowah Valley Country Club, and his membership in Francis Asbury United Methodist Church. During his life, Frederick Christensen was a talented engineer playing a role in national defense. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge 685, Winston-Salem, and award-winning marksman in small bore pistol and rifle competitions in the Catawba Valley region, and, in his youth, he was an avid trout fisherman. Fondly remembered by his friends, golf partners, bridge club and family for his notable eccentricities, Mr. Christensen always shared his positive outlook of life with everyone he met. The Christensens remained childless. Mr. Christensen’s younger sister, Vivian Christensen, died in Simsbury, CT, in 2004, and his son Dickey, by an earlier marriage to the late Sue Howard of Birmingham, AL, predeceased his parents. A graveside service will be conducted by the Rev. Fred Carpenter at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday at Francis Asbury United Methodist Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to MEMORYCARE, 100 Far Horizons Lane, Asheville, NC 28803. Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue is in charge of the arrangements.