Don Lee Christensen... 81

Don Lee Christensen, 81, of Paola, Kansas, died Thursday, February 9 ^th, from complications of COPD. He was surrounded by family and his loving caregivers at Vintage park.

Don, and his twin, Donna, were born August 25 ^th , 1941, in State Center, Iowa, the youngest of nine siblings.

Don and his siblings were raised in Waterloo, Iowa. He joined the Army as soon as he was eligible and retired after 20 years of service. During his service to our country, he was a Heavy Artillery Sergeant First Class in the Army. He was a Drill Sergeant at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, and Fort Carson, Colorado. He was stationed in several bases, including Germany, during his career. He served three tours in Vietnam and earned several commendations, including multiple bronze stars for heroic service in a combat zone and two purple hearts for injuries sustained on the battlefield.  Although America did not embrace him when he returned from Vietnam, he was extremely proud of his service. After retiring from the Army, Don worked for Wonder Bread and Lewis System Armored Carrier until he retired in 2004.

He married Mary (Fuller) on June 10, 1967. She died on April 13, 1982, from Hodgkin’s Disease. After some clever scheduling of timings for his bank pick-ups by the bank employees, he met Marilyn, another carrier. On November 10th, 1991, he married Marilyn (Whitney). She died of lung cancer on November 10 ^th , 2021, on their 30 ^th wedding anniversary.

Don will be remembered for his quick wit, his gift for charming the ladies (from toddlers to centenarians), and his knack for making everyone feel like they were his life-long friends. Don believed that everyone should be treated with dignity and had a heart for those he felt were often overlooked.

Don loved nature and it was where he felt he belonged the most. He loved to hunt and fish and enjoyed watching wildlife from his windows. He had a tender spot for animals, especially his childhood pet, Queenie, a rat terrier. He was notorious for sneaking food to any dog in proximity during mealtimes.

Don enjoyed spending time with his family, teasing his grandchildren, playing cards at family gatherings, and telling stories about life “back in ‘42”. Oh, and he raised swearing to an art form.

Don is survived by three children, Peg/Maggie  (Kamal) Mnayer, Melissa Barker, Mory (Kathy), two stepsons, Mike and Darin (Sally) Schueler, five grandchildren, Lenah (Darin), Kent, Mary, Joseph (Jamie), Alia, and four great-grandchildren, Carsten, Maddie, Dax, and Maddox, and two sisters, Delores Morrison and Pat Landt, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary, his second wife, Marilyn, his granddaughter, Breanna, his brothers, Bud, Jim, and Harold, his sisters, Kay, Virginia, Gladys, Gerda, and Donna.

He will be missed.

There will be a Celebration of Life later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Vintage Park Activity fund at 1520 Parker Ave, Osawatomie, KS 66064, or to a hunting or fishing organization that encourages youth to learn about and appreciate nature. The family hopes the donations could provide financial support for youth who might not otherwise afford to participate in nature, enabling them to discover the same joy it always brought to Don.