"Ileene was a wonderful women ill never forget her we talked all the time at 9th st"
In loving memory of
Ileene C. Christensen
November 12, 1919 - December 28, 2019
Ileene Christensen of Charles City, formerly of Hampton, passed away Saturday, December 28, 2019, at 9th St. Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City.
Ileene Cary Lena Greier was born at rural Latimer on November 12, 1919, daughter of William and Frieda (Muhlenbruch) Greier. She attended country school through 8th grade. As a young teenager she began working full time for families in the roles of babysitter/housekeeper/cook. At age 19 she applied for and was hired as an aid at the Lutheran Hospital in Hampton. During this time of her life, Ileene met her future husband, Leo J. Christensen. They dated for 3 years until Leo was drafted and was stationed in Paso Robles, CA. He asked Ileene to marry him and she said, "Yes." Leo sent her money to come to CA and they were married December 5, 1941.
Leo and Ileene returned to live in the Hampton area in January 1943. Ileene was always a hard worker. She was a wonderful homemaker for her family. In 1950, Leo and Ileene purchased a hatchery north of Hampton where they put in many years of hard work. After selling the hatchery in 1966, they moved to Hampton. Ileene worked at a children's clothing store for a few years, and then Koerner drug store for 12 years before retiring. However, she came out of retirement soon after and worked for Beringer Monument for 7 years. Ileene always wanted to get her high school diploma so in 1994, she decided to go back to school. She took night classes for 3 years and received her GED at the age of 78!
Ileene was a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hampton and later attended New Hope Lutheran in Charles City. She and Leo had many friends and they enjoyed hosting picnics and get togethers at their home. In 2001, Ileene moved to Charles City to be closer to her family. In later years, Ileene's pastimes were reading, crocheting, watching classic movies, and keeping up on politics by watching Fox News. She loved writing letters and her family and friends loved receiving them. Her love for her family never wavered.
Living family members include her son and daughter-in-law Michael (Mick) and Rhonda Christensen of Charles City; grandsons Kelly (Stacey) Christensen of Cedar Falls and Matthew (Nicole) Christensen of Surprise, AZ; granddaughters TuAnn Christensen of Brandon, FL and Kate (Joe) Low of Charles City; 10 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild; 1 sister-in-law and many nieces and nephews; special friends Don and Beth Fink.
Ileene was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Leo in 1990, son Patrick in 1999, one grandson, three sisters, and two brothers.
Tributes
"Your mom was a nice lady; friendly and easy to talk with. My sympathy."
"My Aunt Ileene was truly a one of a kind woman. The words to describe her are many: kind, loving, funny, quick witted, talented, cheerful, warm, loving, and hospitable. Even these don't begin to describe her adequately. She will be sorely missed and always fondly remembered. "
"I enjoyed working with Ileene at Koerner Drug many years ago, and she taught me how to mix paint and calculate wallpaper orders. She was always busy working and loved helping people. Sympathies to her family and comfort in your celebration of a special lady. - Robbi Stevens"