Obituary Record

Joan (Cameron) Christiansen
Died on 11/16/2006
Buried in Blair Cemetery

#1 Pilot Tribune 21 Nov 2006

(Photo of the Christiansens and their mules; Caption: Joan and Gene Christiansen hitched up their mule team for the Gateway to the West Days Parade last June. (Joe Burns/Pilot-Tribune)

Crash claims Herman couple

Blair man, 79, still hospitalized after accident

Family and friends packed the Herman Legion Hall on Monday morning to say goodbye to a Herman couple who died in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 75 just south of Herman on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Eugene Christiansen, 87, and his wife, Joan, 84, were buried together, just as they had lived together for the last 65 years.

At 3:15 p.m. last Thursday, the Christiansens were heading north into Herman in their 1988 Oldsmobile Delta when the vehicle crossed the center line and collided nearly head-on with a 2003 Subaru driven by Emmett Rogert, 79, of Blair, said Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson.

The Herman and Blair Fire and Rescue teams responded to the scene on New York Creek Bridge. Gene Christiansen was pronounced dead at the scene. Joan was transported to Memorial Community Hospital and then airlifted to Creighton Medical Center, where she later died.

The Jaws of Life were needed to extract Rogert from his vehicle. He was airlifted to Creighton from the scene. As of Monday morning Rogert’s daughter, Patty Plugge, said he was in stable condition in the intensive care wing of the hospital. He suffered a broken hip, leg, ankle, shoulder and pelvis in the accident, she said.

Gene Christiansen was born in rural Herman in 1919. He was in the trucking business for most of his life, hauling livestock, grain and hay until he retired in 1992. Joan Christiansen was also born in Herman in 1921. She cooked lunch for the Herman Schools for 15 years and also for Freeman’s Café in Herman.

The two were married in 1941. Together they shared a great love for horses, owning more than 70 over their lifetimes. Most of their weekends were spent at horse shows as soon as their children were old enough to compete. In 1990, they purchased their first team of mules to pull a wagon in parades, including Gateway to the West Days in Blair and River City Roundup.

#2 Omaha World Herald 19 Nov 2006

(Photo)

Christiansen – Eugene and Joan. Survived by daughter and son-in-law, Rita and Al Larsen, Herman, NE; son Jeff Christiansen, Blair, NE; 8 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Joan is also survived by brother, Jack Cameron, Herman, NE; 2 sisters and brother-in-law, Sadie Hansen, Omaha, Hattie and Harry Andreasen, Kennard, NE.

SERVICES will be 10am Monday at the Herman Legion Hall. Burial Blair Cemetery. VISITATION beginning 10 am Sunday with family receiving friends 6-8 pm at Funeral Home.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home Blair, NE 402-426-2191

#3 Omaha World Herald 17 Nov 2006

Two-vehicle crash kills 2, injures 1

A Herman, Neb., couple died after a head-on crash Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 75 just south of Herman.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Eugene Christiansen, 88, and his wife Joan, 85, were northbound in a 1991 Oldsmobile Delta 88 about 3:15 p.m. when the car crossed the center line on a bridge and collided with a 2003 Subru driven by Emmett Rogert, 79, of Blair.

Eugene Christiansen, the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene. Joan Christiansen died about 8 p.m. Thursday at Creighton University Medical Center.

Rogert was flown to Creighton with multiple injuries. A hospital spokeswoman said he was in critical condition this morning.

Sgt. Doug Overfield of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Rogert wore a seat belt. The Christiansens weren’t using seat belts.

--Abe Winter and Kevin Cole—

#4 Pilot Tribune 21 Nov 2006

(Photo of the Christiansens) (Photo of accident scene)

Funeral services for Gene and Joan Christiansen of Herman were held Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, at the Herman Legion Hall, with Pastor Dan Hovanec officiating. The couple was interred at the Blair Cemetery. Both died Thursday, Nov. 16, as the result of an automobile accident, just south of Herman.

Gene Christiansen was born Oct. 30, 1919, in rural Herman to C. W. and Hilda (Skov) Christiansen. He attended grade school at Spiker and graduated from Blair High school in 1937. After graduation, he hauled milk for Robert’s Dairy.

During his lifetime, he was in the trucking business, hauling livestock, grain and hay, retiring in 1992. At the time of his death, he was employed at Enterprise Publishing in Blair. In all of his years as a truck driver, he only got one ticket; it did not count, as it was only a warning.

Joan (Cameron) Christiansen was born Dec. 28, 1921, in Herman to Mack and Emma (Holstein) Cameron. She attended the Thone and Rose Hill elementary schools and graduated from Blair High School in 1939. After graduation, she worked for the Blair Enterprise newspaper. She cooked for the Herman Schools for 15 years, and also for Freeman’s Café in Herman. She also worked as a bus driver for the kindergarten students at the Herman School.

Gene Christiansen and Joan Cameron were married June 6, 1941, in Blair. They shared a great love for horses, and owned more than 70 horses over their lifetime. They spent most of their weekends at horse shows when their children were old enough to ride and compete. In 1990, they purchased their first team of mules to pull a wagon, and participated in many River City Roundup rides and parades. They were both active in the Herman Community Church and they belonged to the Boots and Spurs Saddle Club and the Tri-County Saddle Club.

They are survived by their daughter and son-in-law, Rita and Al Larsen of Herman; a son, Jeff Christiansen of Blair; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and members of Mrs. Christiansen’s family: her brother, Jack Cameron of Herman; and sisters and brother-in-law, Sadie Hansen of Omaha, and Hattie and Harry Andreasen of Kennard.

Mr. Christiansen was preceded in death by a sister, Viva Mae Sorensen. Mrs. Christiansen was preceded in death by a brother, Bill Cameron.

Memorials are suggested to the Herman Community Church Fund.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituaries and funeral leaflet courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave # 114196880

Printed in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune on 11/21/2006


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