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

Obituary: Christensen, Ernest Ralph

Age 88

CHRISTENSEN, Ernest Ralph (Age 88) Passed away on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Spokane, WA.

Ernie was born on October 1, 1924 in Cow Creek Township, Williams County, ND to Bruce and Lena (Sannes) Christensen.

Ernie enlisted in the Army in 1942 at Fort Snelling, MN and was then sent to Camp Beale, CA and became a tank driver.

He was then sent to Camp Bowie, TX.

He and his tank rode on a flatbed railroad car all the way to Texas.

At Camp Bowie he was assigned to be Commander Streidle’s tank driver.

Shortly thereafter he went to an embarkation point in Camp Kilmore, NJ.

He was in the 13th Armored division and he was assigned to the 3rd and the 7th Army in Europe.

He returned to his hometown of Williston, ND after the war and married his neighbor/school mate, Irene Jeanette Kulseth in 1947.

He and Jeanette have been married for 65 years.

He worked as a brakeman on the Great Northern Railroad in the late 1940’s.

He entered the oil industry in 1951 working in many areas of the oil industry, and became District manager of Shafer Tool Works.

Due to the merger of many companies he was later transferred to Casper, WY with Rucker Acme Tool.

He retired from Acme Tool and was hired as Division Manager with Control Flow.

He then started his own pressure control business, and in 1992 he retired and sold his business to Varco Shafer Tool.

He then moved to Spokane Valley, WA to be near his daughter and son-in-law.

Ernie truly missed his oilfield customers and friends.

He was an active member of Christ Lutheran Church in Spokane valley, WA.

He was also a member of the American Legion, the Moose Lodge, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was a life member of the Oil Industry Old-Timer Association of Odessa, TX.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bruce and Lena Christensen; infant brother, Robert Christensen; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bruce and Florence Christensen, Earl and Annie Christensen; sisters and brothers-in-law, Mildred and Clarence Giese, Beatrice and Harold Nehring; brother, Ronald Christensen; brother-in-law, Gilbert (Johnny) Johnson; and sons, Roger Christensen (1971), Raymond Christensen (1996) and John Christensen (2003).

He is survived by his wife, Irene (Jeanette); daughter, Judy (Ken) Anderson of Spokane Valley, WA; and son, Jerry (Karen) Christensen of Casper, WY.

He is also survived by siblings, Hazen Johnson of Boise, ID; and Gerald (JoAnne) Christensen of Williston, ND.

He had five grandchildren - Keni (David) Campbell of Juneau, AK, Patrick (Brenda) Christensen of Casper, WY.

Kara Czernik of Spokane, WA, Jodi (Max) Borino of Casper, WY, and Jennifer (Phil) Jordan of Centennial, CO; and nine great grandchildren - Tyler and Cody Campbell, Taylor and Tanner Christensen, Breanna, Morgan and Derek Borino, Hailey Brown and Eli Jordan.

Funeral Services will be at 2:00 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S. Pines Rd.

Interment will be at Riverview Cemetery in Williston, ND.