Ken Christopher born 1916 will be 100 years old this year

Celebrating the life of Kenneth Orvin Christopher:



Kenneth Orvin Christopher was born Sep 7,1916 in Medina, North Dakota.
He was the 7th child born at home to Inga Lydia (Olsen) and Carl Christopher.
Carl wrote for the newspaper (The Medina Citizen) at the time. For the news on
the day Ken was born, Carl wrote : "Another new hunter joins the Christopher Camp."

All the children were born at home with the help of the local mid-wife,
Mrs. Peterson. Glenn Arthur Ken's oldest brother (b.Jan 7, 1904) was
11 at the time;Alfred Clifford, Mar. 24, 1907) was 9; Roy Willard
(b.Aug 10, 1910 )was 6; Ruth Lillian,(b.Aug 10, 1912) was 3; 
Lauren Ivan and Lester Carl, (b. Aug 5, 1914) were 2. Inga (b. June 28, 1882) 
was 34, and Carl was 40. Ken enjoyed the Christopher Camp as he was growing
up with even  more "little hunters" as they came along: Otto Vernon, (b. Dec. 19, 1918);
Robert Norman,(b. March 29, 1921); Doris Esther,(b.  June 10, 1923); 
and Don Edwin, (b.Sept 10, 1925.) 

All the Christopher children attended a one room school house, called the Peterson
School, out in the country about one mile away from their place. In the cold winter Ken
and the other Christopher kids often had to take the horse and sleigh to school. At one
time the Olsens (Inga's family) came to visit and ended up staying on the Christopher
property in a small house about 1/2 mile away.

Ken graduated from eighth grade and worked on the farm and as hired hand for
other ranchers and farmers around the area. There was no way for him to get into
Medina, the only High School in the area. He used to take the freight train from Medina
to Almont, N. D. sans ticket of course. It seems that Lauren, Lester and Kenneth all liked
to hop freights. They would get off just about anywhere to look for jobs of any kind.


One summer when he was in Almont, he worked for Mr. Jonathan
Pederson and became well acquainted with Mr. Pederson, his wife Sophia Amelia
(Surum), and their six children, all girls.


As he got older, he would "drift west" to work summer jobs such as at Oronda,
Washington, where he picked apples and did odd jobs. When he stopped in Arlee

to see his brothers, Lauren and Lester, he decided to stay and work for the local 

ranchers. He met Ruby Margaret Fleming (b.Oct 3, 1922) while he was working 

in Arlee.

When Ken and his friend Billy Westman saw a sign that said, "I Want You!"

and Uncle Sam pointing right at him, he was sure he was needed.  Billy was

too short and couldn't get in, but Ken signed up the very next day. 

Ken joined the Marines Corp in November of 1934 and served as an expert
rifleman, expert pistol, espert bayonet, and a coach. He stayed four years,
spending nearly his entire tour of duty on the USS Arizona. He sailed five
times to the Hawaiian Islands, twice to Midway Island, crossing the equator
three times and voyaging around the horn of South America--all during
peacetime.

Although he left active duty on November 20, 1938, he stayed in the reserves for
four years.While in California, (Richmond,) with his brother Vernon, he was doing odd
jobs from working on a feeryboat to working in the shipyard for an oil company.
He wrote to Ruby's dad to ask for her hand in marriage and when all the
arrangements could be made, Ruby came down to Richmond and they were married
on July 5, 1940.

He was called back into the Marines in the spring of 1941 but was stationed in
La Jolla, California at the time of Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1941. Ken was often
quoted as saying he was the luckiest Marine alive because he was not on the
USS Arizona that was attacked four times that day and evetually sank, losing
1,177 of our brave Marines.

Their first child, Gloria Jean, was born Oct. 25, 1942 in Richmond, CA and the family
moved to Missoula where he worked for Zip Auto.

Ruby and Ken with Gloria  1944

 Then they decided to settle in
Arlee. He did farm and ranch work of his own and for his in-laws, the Flemings.
For entertainment Kenneth and Ruby belonged to the local Saddle Club and
participated in Omoksees.(square dance) He also liked to ride steers in the rodeo.
Sometime prior to 1944 he owned and operated a small cream station. He bought
the cream from local farmers, tested the butter fat, and sold it through contract to
the big creamery in Missoula.

Gloria

Marjorie Lee was born on May 1, 1946 in the St. Ignatius Hospital.

Margie

Margie, Lana Gloria and Goldie Christopher at a play day

Ken made sure that his girls got to spend plenty of time with their many cousins
especially in the summer months when school was out.  

Ruth, AG,Jim & Dennis Skofstad with Gloria, Margie and Ken

Ken build a two bedroom home on Finley Creek where they lived until about 1952.
Like many others in the area, Ken worked seasonal work for the Sugar Beet
plant in Missoula. They moved to a small 140 acre ranch north of Arlee where
he raised cows, horses, pigs, chickens, dogs, kids and an occasional cat.
At one point in time he milked 12 cows, one of which was named CBS
because she would put her head through the window to listen to the radio.
To supplement the family Ken worked at the Fish Hatchery located on
the Jocko River.

He came down with rheumatic fever around 1957-8. Recovery was slow,
taking about a year to regain his strength; he rode his horse, enjoyed his family
and probably still did more than he was supposed to. After recovery
he tried, but found he was unable to work in the cold, so the ranch was sold
and the family moved to Missoula around 1961and bought the "Sunshine Grocery."

While everyone liked the store business, they missed the country living and
through a series of trades were able to move back to Arlee to the same ranch.
In 1963 they moved into Arlee where they rented a house and owned
"The Fountain" where they made great hamburgers, served endless cups of coffee,
sold bus tickets, candy, and miscellaneous sundries. He even filled the position
of brand inspector for cattle being taken across the county line. He held down a
second job at the White Pine lumber mill where he commuted 26 miles each way
for two years.

Glen, Ruth Lauren, Lester, Ken and Bob

Christopher Brothers:  Lauren Bob, Ken in back  Lester and Glenn in front

Chrsitopher Cousins with their Uncle Ken and Uncle Bob and Aunt Lillian

Ken always encouraged family reunions, he always attended and paid attention to each
one in a special loving way.   He stayed in touch with everyone as best he could.
Once again, Ken built a new home, where they lived during the years Ken worked
as a custodian and bus driver for the Arlee School District. In 1978 at age 62, after
17 years, he took his well-deserved retirement.  Ken and Ruby moved to another
home he had built himself on their property on Flathead Lake at Kings Point. Sadly,
Ruby died May 13, of 1982 due to complications of diabetes.



Sometime after that Ken went back to North Dakota for a visit and found that Mildred
Pederson (b. April 6, 1921), one of Mr. Pederson's daughters, was single again as her
husband had passed away. They began writing to each other for a time. Ken married
Millie on July 11, 1987 and they lived in Polson, Montana for about 18 years.

Much of their retirement life was spent traveling around the United States visiting family and friends in a 5th wheeler or motor home. They enjoy their golden years in good health, enjoying visits from many family and friends.

 Unfortuanately the home on Kings Point was lost to a 4th of July fire that destroyed all they had. The home was quickly rebuilt and they lived there peacefully until 2009.

Juanita, Ken and Milllie

 Ken fell ill and passed away on April 7, 2009 at his daughter Marjorie’s home in Missoula with family members close by.


**personal note***  Goldie and I were fortunate to visit Ken at Margie's house a
few weeks before he died.He was not well enough to sit up or talk much, but when
we thanked him for all the memories of his playing his harmonica, he asked for it and
right then and there he played a little ditty for us....it was a very touching moment.

You may have such a  memory of this very special and loving man or photos you would like to add,  If so, send them to me by email ( lana.rankin@yahoo.com) and I will post it here on an update at a  later date..


Most of this information comes from my interview with Ken for his 90th Birthday. Some information comes from the Polson newspaper, "Valley Journal" Dec 8, 2004 where he was featured on the front page as the "Luckiest Marine Alive."

 

1936