Mr. James E. Christensen

James E. Christensen, 80, of St. Paul and Wolbach died Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at the Howard County Community Hospital in St. Paul.



Private family services will be held at a later date in Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. The Reverend Martin Leeper will officiate. There will not be any visitation. It was Mr. Christensen's wishes to donate his body to the Nebraska Anatomical Board for medical research.



Memorials are suggested to the Wolbach Methodist Church or to the donor's choice.



Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home of St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.



Mr. Christensen was born April 19, 1928 to James William (Bill) and Eva Alice (Madsen) Christensen on the family farm 2 miles west of Wolbach.



He attended Midway Country School to the 1st grade and then attended Wolbach Schools where he graduated from Wolbach High School in 1946.



James worked for the Larson Cattle Company during his early years.



He entered the U.S. Army on January 8, 1951. He received his discharge on January 9, 1953.



He attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, graduating in 1959 with distinction.



James was united in marriage to Joan R. Quackenbush on September 6, 1958 in the Methodist Church in Beatrice, NE. He worked for the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service for 34 years, serving in various areas of Nebraska. He retired from the Soil Conservation Service serving as Chief Agriculture Economist for the states of Ohio and lower half of Michigan.



The couple returned to Nebraska and to the family farms near Wolbach.



His family received two Ak-Sar-Ben awards, one from each one of his grandparents, one of the few family's to receive the award from the paternal and maternal grandparents.



The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in September 2008.



James his been a Nebraska Real Estate Broker since 1961.



He was a lifetime member of the Nebraska Farmers Union, National Association of Retired Federal Employees #1507 of Grand Island, and the VFW of St. Paul.



James enjoyed gardening and flowers.



He attended the United Methodist Church in Wolbach.



Survivors include his wife, Joan; a son, Donald Eugene Christensen of Wolbach; a daughter and son-in-law, Linda D. and Victor Tamosuinas of Overland Park, KS; and three grandchildren, Laura, Alan and Mark.



He was preceded in death by his parents and a special aunt and uncle, Arthur and Ethel Christensen.