Leldon and Betty
Lou with
Dale and Larry about 1960
photo in collection
of Elroy
Christenson
|
Leldon Dale Christenson Family
Texas |
Leldon Dale Christenson
b. 1 May 1928 Bosque Co., Texas [US. S.S. Death
Index, 1935-2014](this different from the bapt.
rec.)
bapt. 4 Aug 1929 - b. is listed 1 May 1929 [US
Lutheran church records]
d. 11 Feb 1997 Texas [US. S.S. Death
Index, 1935-2014]
m. Betty Lou Wimberly 19 Mar
1953
Cranfills Gap, TX
b. 7 Oct 1934 Texas
d.
her father: Buster Wimberly
her mother: unknown
her 2nd m. N. D. Hopkins
5
June
1999
b. 28 Sep 1929
d. Sat. 31 Aug. 2013 Grand Prairie, TX
buried: Dallas Nat. Cem. 7 Sep 2013
no issue
his father: Peder Legind Christenson
his mother: "Eva"
Evalena
Johnson
| Children |
Leldon Dale Christenson Jr.
|
b. 24 Apr 1954 Texas
|
d.
|
1m. Marla Sue
Reyna 14
Nov
1975
Texas
[Texas Mar. Index]
(d. c May 8, 2004 near Gardner, Colo.)
2m. Suzanne Davidson
(divorcee)
|
Larry Paul Christenson
|
b. 9 June 1957 Texas |
d.
|
m. Carol Renee
Grounds (age 15) 28 Aug 1979 Tarrant Co.,
Texas
|
1928 - Leldon Christenson is born as the second child to Eva
Johnson
Christenson.
about 1950 Leldon
Both Burton and Leldon graduate from Cranfills Gap High
School. Eva's sons both go off to war. Burton was in the
Merchant
Marines and Leldon was in the Army and posted in Korea on the
front
line.
1948- The war over, the military started to tear down structures
that they had used. Pete built a new house out of Ft Hood barracks
and
put in electricity because Leldon was working for the Tennessee
Valley
Authority at the time. [story told by Violet Christenson]
1953, 19 Mar - Leldon marries Bette Lou Wimberly. Her family had
lived just over the mountain from the Christenson farm.
1955-ish to the 1960s- Leldon and Betty Lou lived in Grand
Prairie,
Texas. Leldon got a job with General Motors in Arlington.
They
had two boys, Dale and Larry. My Dad, Mom and I
visited
with Leldon and Betty Lou with frequently because they lived
so
nearby and because we always had a good time playing cards or
fishing
together.
Larry and Dale Christenson about 1960 in Grand Prairie,
Texas.
photo in collection of Elroy Christenson
about 1960- There was a water shortage in Grand Prairie.
Leldon who was always handy and interested in solving the problem
decided to dig a well in his yard. This is a city lot
and
rather impossible to bring in heavy equipment so he thought he could
hand-dig the well. He decided to "divine" the location
of
the water with a "witching rod". It turned out to be Y shaped
willow branch. As he held it out the branch took a dive
to
the ground. Of course my dad and I both had to try
it. It did the same for us. I just couldn't
hold it up until I backed away from the location.
I
really didn't believe that it could predict where the water was but
Leldon figured that this spot next to the garage was "the
location" He started digging. He hooked up
an
auger type post-hole-digger on to steel pipe and down it
went. Getting it out of the hole was more work with a
crane
framework and pulley above the hole to pull it out.
Gradually more sections were added to get greater depth.
This soil here is like concrete when dry and extremely slimy and
sticky
when wet. He went down at least twenty feet and did hit
some water but it really wasn't enough to irrigate his
yard. As far as I know the project was abandoned and the
hole got filled in because of the kids.
In the last 60's Leldon had to retire from General Motors with a
medical disability. He had contracted Parkinson's
Disease. Because he was a veteran he was able to get a
lot
of his medical expenses paid through the VA. Betty Lou
had
to go to work for my cousin, Darrell Reesing, who was by now a
dentist
and had an office nearby.
The boys grow up with some of their Dad's skill and motivation and
graduate from high school. Eventually they form a
successful cabinet making business south of Fort Worth. They both
marry
and have several children of their own.
1975 - Leldon Dale Christenson Jr. marries Marla Sue Reyna [notes
from
Betty Lou Christenson Hopkins]
Children of Dale Christenson
Jr. and
Marla Sue Reyna
|
Rachael Lynn Christenson
|
b. 9 Nov 1978 Texas
|
d.
|
m.
|
John Paul Christenson
|
b. 17 Jul 1981 Texas
|
d.
|
m.
|
1979 - Larry Paul Christenson marries Carol Grounds [notes from
Betty
Lou Christenson Hopkins]
Children of Larry Paul
Christenson
and Carol Grounds
|
Levi Chisom Christenson
|
b. 13 Oct 1987 Texas
|
d.
|
|
Lance Tyrell Christenson
|
b. 21 Feb 1993 Texas |
d.
|
m.
|
1997 - After his lingering illness and eventually hospitalization he
dies at the VA hospital.
1999, June 5 -Betty Lou remarries to real estate developer, N. D.
Hopkins. He had been president of the organization for a few years
and
they traveled widely to various conventions and meetings over the
next
few years.
Both Dale and Larry have families that are still
active.
They have created an active and respected cabinet shop that sell
cabinets for houses all over Texas.
c2004- Dale was ready to retire and bought an old ghost town in
Colorado. He and his wife were on there way there when
they
had an auto accident. Marla was killed in the accident
near
Gardner, Colorado.
"Arlington, Texas - Marla
Christenson
48 of Arlington, Texas and Gardner, Colorado. Survived by husband,
Leldon Dale Christenson; children, Rachel Lynn and John Paul
Christenson. Services in Fort Worth,
Texas.
[Published on May 11, 2004, The Pueblo Chieftain, Pueblo, Colo.]
He has since remarried to Suzanne Davidson. Dale
Christenson has turned over the presidency
of C & S Cabinets to his son John Christenson which is
still
making beautiful cabinets. His mother's newly
remodeled
house has many wonderful pieces. [EC 2007]
Larry has gone off on his own to establish his own cabinet shop
near
Morgan, Texas. The brothers work together on various
jobs.
2013, Aug 31 - N. D. Hopkins dies in Grand Prairie surrounded by
his
children after several episodes of pneumonia.
Source:
Christenson, records of
Betty Lou Wimberly. 2003
Christenson, story told
by
Violet
C & S Cabinets Inc., 6201-A
Dowdell Rd., Ft. Worth, TX 76119, (817) 429 - 6880
http://www.cnscabinets.com/index.htm
Pete's History || Elroy's Family Index || Ancestor Chart #1
All information and
photos included within these pages was
developed by the help of hundreds of researchers. The
information here
is for the express purpose of personal genealogical
research and is
freely offered as long as this site is listed as a
source. It may not
be included or used for any commercial purpose or
included in any
commercial site without the express permission of
Elroy Christenson.
Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2010.
web pages created by Elroy
Christenson-
elroy@next1000.com - last updated 8/10/13