Irene C. Christenson

Irene C. Christenson (Mame), age 95, of Columbia Falls, passed away on May 18, 2020, due to natural causes.

She was born March 16, 1925, in Bottineau, North Dakota to Lillie and Clarence Johnson.

She was raised and attended school in the little town of Gardena, North Dakota.

She married Chester Christenson on May 8, 1948, in Bottineau, North Dakota. They lived and worked on the Christenson family farm until moving to Fort Peck in 1956 where Chester worked for the Corps of Engineers. In 1966 his work with the Bureau of Reclamation brought the family to Hungry Horse.

She was a homemaker and enjoyed baking, canning, gardening, and sewing/crocheting. She always had some kind of baked goods for us kids when we came home from school and there was always a home cooked meal on the table every night for the family.

Late at night you would find her sewing clothes for the family and little outfits for the kid’s dolls. She loved playing cards and board games with the family.

In the late summer/fall you would find her canning local caught salmon, freezing huckleberries and picking cherries at Flathead Lake and vegetables from the Bucks gardens outside of Columbia Falls.

One of her greatest enjoyments was packing up a lunch and venturing out for a daily/weekly

trip to visit local/national parks, Canada or family and friends in North Dakota.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Chester, her sister, Margie; sistersin- law, Helen Jean and Alice (Tony); brothersin- law, Marvin, Jerome, and Tony; and son-in-law, Duywane.

She is survived by her children, Merdith (Max) Foy, Janine Gardner, Gail Christenson and Kevin (Marcie) Christenson; her brother, Morris and sister-in-law, Alice (Jerome); her grandchildren, Nicholle, Aaron, Devon, Darren, Amara and Kelcie; step grandchildren, Zach, Lynzee and Scott; great-grandchildren, Kaylee, Max, Ariana, Brandon, Connor and Emma; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff and residents at Timber Creek Village in Columbia Falls for the great care and friendships given to Mom during her stay with them over the years.

A private Christian burial will take place at the end of September at St. Richard’s Catholic Cemetery in Columbia Falls.