Lee A Christensen

A Celebration of Life Service for Lee A. Christensen will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at the Harlan County Ag Center in Orleans, Nebraska with Lee's sister, Rev. Jean Clayton officiating. A time of fellowship and lunch will follow the service. Private family inurnment will be held prior to the service at the Orleans Cemetery.

On Thursday, January 23, 2020, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Lee Christensen of Orleans, passed away at the age of 73 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Lee Alan Christensen was the second son born to Raymond and LaVerne (Borges) Christensen on September 29, 1946, in Phillipsburg, Kansas. If family lore is accepted, he weighed 4 lbs. 2 ozs. and was born during a flood that prevented Raymond from joining LaVerne and Lee at the hospital.

His education started at the one-room country school in the Eldorado Township. When he entered elementary school in Orleans, he skipped the second grade and later graduated from Orleans High School in 1963 at age of sixteen. He then pursued higher education, and received a degree in Industrial Management from Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney) in 1969. In 1969, he was united in marriage to Debra Quinn, and to this union three children were born: Jenae, John, and Tyler. Later in years, this marriage ended in divorce.

On June 18, 1999, Lee was united in marriage to Diane (Roeder) Gardner. The couple built their home on the family farmstead on the Nebraska-Kansas border. A family member has continually lived at this location since the spring of 1894.

He worked for the US Department of Agriculture in the Farm Services Agency for 42 years. He started at the Phelps County (Holdrege) office in 1970, and then served as Executive Director in Sioux County (Harrison) and Chase County (Imperial). He worked for a couple of years in the state office in Lincoln before becoming a District Director in 1976, and returning his young family to Orleans. As one of the youngest District Directors in agency history, he served a 10-county area that included: Phelps, Harlan, Buffalo, Franklin, Clay, and Kearney. In 1990, he became Executive Director for the Harlan County office. He retired from the USDA in 2012.

Returning to Orleans granted Lee the opportunity to farm with his father. The farm has been in the family since 1893, and is now owned by Lee's nephew, Jason Keezer of Holdrege. Lee felt called to civic service and dedicated his time to the Orleans Village Council, the Harlan County Extension Council, and Orleans/Southern Valley School Board. He was proud of his contribution to the school consolidation and development of the Southern Valley School. For 10 years he served on the board of the National Association of County Office Employees (NASCOE) and was elected president of the organization in 1997. The group advocates for employee's rights and benefits in the Farm Services Agency. Since 2012, Lee has served on the Board of Directors for the Twin Valley Public Power District.

Lee loved a good story, and a good joke even better. He was happiest when he was visiting with family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers; especially if there was a slice of cake involved. Lee was extremely thoughtful and if a news article made him think of a conversation you had, it might just end up in your mailbox. He was hard working and mechanically inclined taking on the wide range of the farm work himself. Lee enjoyed hunting with his grandkids, traveling with Diane, cooking, and country music concerts. He loved being a grandpa and cherished the time that he spent with his kids and grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Wayne and Kathy Roeder; brother, Earl Christensen; brother-in-law, LeRoy Keezer; and nephew, Kevin Keezer.

Lee is survived by: his wife, Diane Christensen of Orleans; his children: Jenae Batt and her husband, Matthew of St. Paul, Minnesota; John Christensen and his wife, Sooki of Kansas City, Kansas; Tyler Christensen of Kansas City, Kansas; and Diane's children: Katy Shaw and her husband, Jay of Orleans; and Jesse Gardner of Long Island, Kansas; his sister, Jean Clayton and her husband, Jim of Holdrege; six grandchildren: Wyatt, Marshall, Eden, Grace, Emory, and McKenna; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and extended family and friends.

A Memorial Book Signing will be held on Friday, February 7, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Harlan County Ag Center in Orleans.

A memorial has been established in Lee's honor, and kindly suggested to the Lee Christensen Memorial Fund. The family intends to honor Lee's civic dedication with a memorial to the Orleans Public Park.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements