Obituary: Melvin Arthur (Mel) Christenson, 86, a resident of The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. ********************************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ********************************************************************************* Transcribed and formatted for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Earline Wasser April 2003 ********************************************************************************* The Dalles Chronicle April 24, 2003. Surnames: Christenson, Kattke, Larson, Lovell, Bjork, Baumgarten Melvin Arthur (Mel) Christenson, 86, a resident of The Dalles, died April 22, 2003, at the local hospital. He was born March 4, 1917, in Clinton Township, Luverne, Minnesota, the second son of five children to John B. and Minnie (Kattke) Christenson. He completed eight grade with a diploma from DeSmet, South Dakota. He worked as a repair/service mechanic and machinist from 1939 to 1951, with time out for U.S. Naval service from 1944-1946. He married Ruth (Rusty) Larson July 27, 1946, in Olympia, Washington. Moving to Yakima (Washington) in 1951, he worked for Snowkist Growers and retired as superintendent in April 1979. He worked as a consultant for Northwest Packing Company for several years after that. The family moved to The Dalles in 1985. As a young man, he enjoyed playing his harmonica, dancing, bowling, and hunting . He was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose in Yakima and a 45-year member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He liked to travel and in his spare time invented several items upon which he held patent rights. He is survived by his daughter and her husband, Rymmel and Tedd Lovell, The Dalles; step-daughter Betty Larson, Mililani, Hawaii; a sister, Marcella Bjork, Olympia (Washington); brother and sister-in-law, Melbourne and Verna Christenson, Olympia; and a granddaughter and her husband, Deidre and John Baumgarten, Sonoma, California. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rusty, and his brother Myron in 1999, and his brother Marlaen in 1970. A Celebration of Life memorial will be held at Mill Creek Point Assisted Living Center on Friday, April 25, at 2 p.m., Pastor Karl Vercouteren presiding. Inurnment will be at Masonic Cemetery in Tumwater, Washington. Arrangements were by Columbia Cremation & Burial.