Kristin Marie Christensen

Kristin Marie Christensen was born in Des Moines, IA. She passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2025, at the age of 47.

Kristi grew up in Ankeny, IA. She loved playing soccer and softball as a child. She began playing the flute in elementary school and continued to play through high school, while being involved in both concert and marching band. Kristi knew from a young age that she wanted to go into healthcare. After high school, Kristi attended the University of Iowa initially as a pre-med student, but she was too eager to get into the field, so she transferred to Grandview College and studied to be a nurse. She finished with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grandview College and a bachelor degree in psychology from the University of Iowa. Years later, Kristi continued her education and received a Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, in 2013.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Kristi began working as a nurse in Des Moines before taking a traveling nurse job in California. She went to San Fransisco briefly and then on to Los Angeles for several years. In 2005, after approximately five years in California, Kristi returned to the Des Moines area to be closer to family.

Kristi practiced nursing in many areas, including oncology and medical-surgical, but the bulk of her time was in the emergency department and ICU. Kristi worked in the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital upon returning from California. It was there, in 2008, that she met the love of her life, Jesse Christensen. Though a mutual friend had been trying to introduce them, their lives finally crossed paths when Jesse brought a patient in by ambulance, and they met in the hallway. Jesse and Kristi married in 2010.

Kristi and Jesse loved spending time with family and traveling. They enjoyed trips to Sioux City to visit Jesse’s family as well as the Chicago area to visit Kristi’s family. Saturday nights were reserved for El Mariachi as a standing dinner date for Jesse and Kristi, along with her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and any other friends who wished to come along. Kristi and Jesse loved visiting different Caribbean islands where they could relax, scuba dive, and enjoy each other’s company. Summer’s were filled with boating and water sports at Saylorville Lake and, later on, Lake Panorama. Kristi and Jesse (along with their 1-year old son Isaac, Kristi’s parents, and her grandmother) were fortunate to take a tour of Europe, ending in Germany, where they visited with Kristi’s extended family.

Besides knowing that she wanted to be in healthcare as a child, there was one more thing that Kristi knew: she wanted to be a mother. In 2012 and 2014, Kristi and Jesse welcomed into the world, the best gifts they could have ever received - their sons Isaac and Levi. Kristi was excellent at being a nurse and caring for others, but the thing that she really excelled at was being a mother and wife. As a firefighter, Jesse would be away for 24 hour shifts, sometimes returning from work needing to sleep half the day away as well. Kristi was able to juggle so much, and Isaac and Levi were so loved and cared for. She taught them how to sign before they could talk, she taught them to read before they ever went to school, and she took frequent trips with the boys all over the metro area to different parks and pools. Her boys and Jesse were her world. Kristi did go back to school to earn her master’s degree to work as a nurse practitioner. She did this not to earn more money, but to be able to decrease her working hours (and keep her income consistent) in order to spend more time with her family.

Kristi’s family was her everything. She was able to show the love and care for them so well because her faith was so strong, and she put God first in her life. Kristi had found her faith shortly before she met Jesse, and he was the answer to the prayer for which she prayed so hard. Kristi and Jesse attended Crossroads Church in Norwalk for several years, where she was baptized, growing their faith together and forming deep relationships before moving to Heartland Church in Ankeny where their faith and walk with God continued to grow. Kristi was very active with church groups, bible studies, and was a facilitator for The Ultimate Journey. Kristi lived a life of unapologetic faith, sharing the Gospel of Jesus, and praying for others continually. We have received countless testimonies from others of how Kristi helped grow their faith and walk with Jesus. Kristi made a comment to Jesse during her battle with cancer that though the disease is so terrible and robbed her of so much, she would not trade the diagnosis away because of how much closer her walk became with her Lord and Savior.

Kristi is survived by the love of her life, Jesse Christensen; her two beautiful boys Isaac Wayne and Levi John; her mother Mia Palla; sister, Kate (Leo) Ziebol; father- and mother-in-law, Terry Christensen and Heidi Smith; sister-in-law, Summer Amman; brother-in-law, Dustin (Cassie) Derflinger; and nine nieces and nephews, Asher Amman, Haven Amman, Brooks Thompson, Parker Thompson, Ruby Thompson, Joshua Derflinger, Este Derflinger, Jonny Derflinger, and Isla Derflinger; as well as a host of other family members and beloved friends. Kristi was preceded in death by her father Robert Palla; maternal grandparents Dusan Marinkovic and Ingeborg Fry; paternal grandparents, John and Evelyn Palla; and sister-in-law, Callie (Christensen) Derflinger.

Services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, February 7, 2025, at Heartland Church, 1212 NW 36th Street, Ankeny, Iowa 50023. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for the care and education of Kristi and Jesse’s children or to Can Do Cancer (candocancer.org), an organization through which Kristi had received multiple blessings while undergoing chemotherapy.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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