Saturday, April 20, 2024
Barbara Gene Christianson, 91 died at Mountain Meadows Living on September 15, 2018.
Born 6/25/1927 to Laura and Rice Anderson, she attended Eatonville High School and graduated in 1944. She then attended University of Washington.
She is past worthy Matron, Narada chapter, order of the Eastern Star in Ashford, WA.
She grew up in Longmire, Mount Rainier National Park, where she met, then married Don Christianson, in 1948. They moved to Leavenworth in 1960. She was one of the active members of the 1964 Vesta Junior Women’s Club, involved in the many club projects, including winning the $10,000 competition that became the LIFE program (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone).
She worked many years at Stevens Pass Ski resort as a bookkeeper. She and the family moved to Crystal Mountain in 1969 when Don Christianson became the mountain manager. She entertained a great deal of the time at Crystal, and was remembered as fun loving and an excellent cook.
In later years, she worked as an Accountant for Edwards and Barbieri, a Law Firm in Seattle, until she retired at the age of 65 and decided to use her “free time” to travel, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Maccau as well as the Grand Canyon, California and multiple ski areas in the US. She had a group of 3 friends who went on ski trips together, followed by drinking Martinis and playing Bridge.
She was a long term member of the United Evangelical Free Church in Ballard, a member of their Bible Study Group, and had many friends there. Her favorite companion in Seattle, was her dog, “Gigi”, for Good Girl, an excitable Shih Tzu who loved her completely.
When asked what her proudest moment was in her life, she said without hesitation "Being a Mom".
An avid reader at Mountain Meadows, she made great use of the library there, and had a whole wall of favorite books displayed in her apartment. She loved living at Mountain Meadows, and was a great supporter of their many programs and activities.
Survivors include her 4 children, Linda (Juris), John (Yolanda), Don and Cleet, her grandchildren James (Diane), Michael, Maris (Patricia), Tonje (Steve), great grandchildren Ellie Grace, Arija, Cameron and Finn along with multiple nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of life will be held at the Plain Community Church, October 3 at 2 p.m. 12565 Chapel Drive, Plain, WA.
Memorial contributions/donations are welcome and appreciated at Mountain Meadows Living, 320 Park Ave., Leavenworth, WA. 98826, or to your local Alzheimer’s Association.
Many thanks to the wonderful staff at Mountain Meadows for their ongoing care, support and love, and to Hospice for making her last weeks peaceful and pain free.
