Christian A. Johansen
December 26, 2012
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Service Details
Christian Arne Johansen came into this world in the middle of a Wisconsin blizzard in the small village of West Denmark. He was one of five children of Ansgar and Frederikke Johansen. He was preceded by the passing of brother Halvden and sister Ann Marie, and is survived by Valdemar (Wally) Johansen and Johanne Hansen, as well as first cousins Kris Henriksen and Ellen Copeland.
Christian left Wisconsin as a teenager to work in the fields and barns of the Dakotas and California. He found himself in Solvang and Santa Clara, California, working as a farm hand, and among other things he attended the 1939 World’s Fair in San Francisco. He attended Grand View College for a brief winter course, and found his way back out to California when the bombs started dropping on Pearl Harbor.
PFC Christian A Johansen was inducted into the US Army at Polk County, Wisconsin, and served with the 104th Infantry Division, K Company, with distinction, earning two Bronze Stars, a Presidential Citation, and Marksman Designation and was awarded his Sergeant’s stripes in field promotion while in combat in Europe. After meeting the Russians at the Rhine, Christian returned home and was able to join his brother Wally - who served as a Seabee at Iwo Jima - at home in Wisconsin for two weeks of leave.
Later that year Christian was discharged from San Luis Obispo, California. Christian remained an active member of “The National Timberwolf Association,” attending many annual reunions until the last one in 2010. He maintained lifelong relationships with his war buddies.
Christian met the love of his life, Elsie Olsen, married, started farming in 1948, and a family in 1949. They moved to Iowa in 1954, and then to Des Moines, Elsie’s home town, in 1958. Christian worked at Olsen Egg and then Plainsdale Eggs until his retirement. He was an active member of Luther Memorial Church, and always treasured his roots in the Danish Lutheran traditions.
Christian is survived by four children, Marilyn Coates, Robert Johansen, Gary Johansen, and Janet Hockey. He also is survived by grandchildren Brent, Christian, Aaron, Leif, Rachel, Steffi, Karl, Timothy, Sarah, Amanda, Olivia, and David, as well as great-grandchildren Angelique and Noah. He lost dear Elsie to cancer in 1996, after caring for her for over two years.
Christian was a member of the Highland Park VFW, the National Timberwolf Association, and the Iowa Democratic Party. He loved gardening, camping, traveling, and for a time, wine making. Most importantly, wherever he went, he was charming, winning friends everywhere with a smile and a quick wit.
Funeral Celebrations will be held at 10:30 AM Monday, December 31, at Luther Memorial Church, 1201 Grandview Avenue. Visitation will be held from 2 to 6 PM Sunday, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street in the East Village.
Let us all learn to laugh in our pain, and know that it is good to gather around our stories, and then part in love, carrying this life forward into our own.
Happy New Year and please remember to Love all of our Veterans. Memorials may be
directed to Luther Memorial Church or to Hospice of Central Iowa.
Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com
Tanya Kliven-Sneller
01/17/2025
Janet,
I’m so sorry to hear of your Mom and Dads passing. I adored them both. I especially enjoyed watching Sambo when you guys went on vacation and sneaking a cookie or two from the cookie jar while Sambo was “doing his business”. Janet, you still owe me 14 McDonalds chocolate sundaes from our UNO games, LOL. You were the best neighbors and we missed you when we moved. God Bless!!!
Karen (Finley) Karaidos
01/02/2013
Marilyn, I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. Both of my parents are gone now but my heart is still involved in the neighborhood that we called home. Please contact my email so that we could visit for a while.
Teresa Stemler
12/31/2012
Janet,
I am so very sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Teresa Stemler
National Timberwolf Association 104th Infantry Div
12/30/2012
I will turn home at last once more
Knowing that a true soldier's rest
Once earned is sweet
His peace complete
Who gave until the last his best
Donna Mein HHA.
12/29/2012
Gary I enjoyed your dad so much. He was always in a good mood. He liked talking about the passed years.I last seen him in Oct. he was sleeping,Ididnt want to bother him. Thank you for the phone call.
Erika and Bartt Bendixen
12/29/2012
Janet and Family, We were so sorry to here about Chris's passing, he was always so kind to us when ever we saw him at church. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.
Wanda Johansen
12/29/2012
Uncle Chris
Chris and Elsie were always in my life, as long as I can remember. They lived in Iowa when I was a little girl, but it was always good news when they were expected to visit in West Denmark. They truly were the Aunt and Uncle that every kid wants. Fun loving, always bringing the best sweets, especially Aunt Elsies famous chocolate chip cookies, and took time with the little kids that we were.
For some of my youth, I would only really see the Iowa relatives at the weddings of my cousins, where Elsie and Johanne would be busy in the preparations and wedding day activities. They were the aunts who took care of everything.
Once I was living in Colorado, I would stop in Des Moines on my travels to and from Wisconsin, usually (but not always) spending the night at their house. Sometimes, much to the dismay of both my aunts, I would motor on after stopping for a short visit over coffee. Aunt Jo would really worry, and always tried to talk me into staying until morning, but perhaps I have some of that stubborn Dane that many talk about. In the days when I would stop in Des Moines to stay the night, Uncle Chris was still making wine. If I had a glass or two of his wine, the decision was made that I had to stay. His wine packed a punch. It was always very tasty though and someday I hope to try my hand at duplicating a few of his recipes.
Some years ago, I got a call from Chris and Elsie that they were camping near Estes Park in Colorado and they wondered if I would be able to come for a visit. As luck would have it, I had the next 4 days off from working at Coors, so packed up my sleeping bag and headed to join them. The camper was brand new and had plenty of room for me to stay. There was a problem with the drain on the ice box on the camper, it wanted to drain out onto the floor, so I got under the camper and Uncle Chris was in the camper, and between us we were able to feed the drain tube down the hole where it belonged and it fixed the problem. Uncle Chris praised me for a long time over being able to help fix that problem. It was a very fun visit. There was a parade in town, so Uncle and I went to watch while Elsie was shopping with her sister in law. (I think it was Don and Carol who were staying at a cabin in the area.) Uncle Chris was quick to point out one of the entries in the parade that was a rowdy group of Mountain Men. He thought I might be interested in one of those guys for a spouse, ha. After the parade, we thought we should see if we would see those Mountain Men again, so we slipped into The Wheel Bar for a beer or two. I think we caught heck from Aunt Elsie for that, but I enjoyed the fun time with Uncle.
One year, I went on a train trip with Chris & Elsie and Dad & Ev to California. They took the train to Denver and stayed a couple of days and then we continued on to the West Coast for a visit with Gary and Mary and also Bobby & Carole. It was a fun trip and we laughed so much over silly stuff. One big joke got to be splitting the check at lunch and whether I might owe Elsie 49 cents over a senior discount. We got a lot of mileage out of that, and many laughs over the years remembering the silliness of it all.
One of the stories that Uncle Chris told me about farming in Wisconsin can still make me chuckle. He talked about how the cows had to spend the entire winter in the barn in those days. It must be made them pretty stir crazy, dont you think? So, when the weather would finally get nice enough to let them out, Uncle told Aunt Elsie to come and watch, and when the cows got out into the pasture, they literally kicked up their heels and sprang around for joy. It is an image in my mind of pure joy and I can vividly imagine both Chris and Elsie getting a very good laugh out of the escapades of those cows.
After Aunt Elsie was gone, it happened that Uncle Chriss Army Timberwolves convention was to be in Arlington, VA and Dads Navy Seabee reunion was to be in Youngstown, OH. So, a plan was hatched, that I would drive us all to both reunions and we would have a scenic trip through the country on our way there and back. The 4 of us had a very fun trip. Uncle Chris contributed a box of tomatoes to the food supply and we continued to eat his tomatoes for most of our 2 week trip. Our lunches were mostly picnics in some park along the way. Uncle Chris and I shared a room to save on expenses, so we had plenty of visit time. It was the trip of a lifetime for me, to share that time with both Dad & Ev and Uncle Chris. In DC, getting around was somewhat challenging, but in those days, Uncle Chris carried a cane, so he got preferential treatment from the bus drives and the like. Since I was his escort, I too got some prime seating on the bus. Dad & Ev were not so lucky. Of course once out of sight of the bus driver, Uncle Chriss cane didnt touch the ground much, it was held parallel to the ground and helped with balance while he hoofed it down the sidewalk. We had many a laugh on that trip and I have a photo album that documents our stops along the way. It was my first introduction to the Timberwolves. This is a group of men who served their country during WWII and many of whom held the utmost respect for my Uncle who had been a leader and a hero in their combat time together.
Uncle Chris leaves us with a legacy as well. He spent much time writing about his memories as a kid, his service time, West Denmark as well as other topics. I was his typist for some of his writings and I was honored to do it. He had the gift of writing that seems to come from the Henriksen genetic pool. He wrote much as he talked and it was always a joy to read his latest work. These writings live on, and leave us with a part of him that will last for many generations to come. It was always in my mind to get his work put into a book for publication for the cousins and others, now I need to move that up my to-do list.
The last time I saw Uncle Chris was on my Dads 90th birthday. I drove Dad and Ev to Des Moines and we had coffee with Uncle, Aunt Johanne and Uncle Thorvald, Mary Riber, Nancy and Pat OKeefe and Gary. It was a good day for Uncle, he was clear about who we were and the adults had quite a discussion about West Denmark in the days when there was some conflict in the congregation. I enjoyed hearing them talk of this and was amazed at how well they all, but especially Uncle Chris, remembered the events of those days long ago. We left him that day with a smile and it is how I always think of Uncle Chris. He was generous with his good spirit and smiles. I was lucky and proud to be his niece.
Lisa (Burgett) Gift, Jeff and Spencer
12/29/2012
We are so sorry to hear of the death of your father. It sounds like from his obituary, that he had an amazing life. I'm sure you have many good memories of him. May that help you as your grieve. He is with dear Elsie, again. With deepest sympathy.
Janet Hockey
12/29/2012
Dad! You will be loved and missed by all of us but I know you are healed by Jesus Christ and with Mom again. I truly remember when I rode in your truck when you were working and getting up early morning just to yell and wave goodbye to from the window. I do that now. RIP Dad and we will meet again.
Laura Franco Scherer
12/28/2012
Gary and Jan, we are so sorry for your loss. Our prayers for you and your dad. From all Franco Family.
Donna Bainter McCullough
12/28/2012
Gary, I am so sorry for your loss. According to some of your posts, you did try to spend a lot of time with him his last days, and you have those memories and many others to hold and cherish. Prayers are with you and your family. Hugs
Kim Erickson
12/28/2012
Gary, I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and for your family. Many blessings,
Kim