Annie Christensen

On March 24, 1919 in Ribe, Denmark, a child was born to the late Aager and Toma Jacobsen. She was the youngest of four children and was given name Ragnhild or “Annie”. She was our Mom.  Mom’s birth came four months after the end of World War I and then when she was ten years old, she lived through the Great Depression. Although her young life was challenging, she made the best of it.  The events and the experiences of her childhood shaped her life and ultimately made her the Mom that we knew and loved. She was a strong person who worked hard and appreciated the little things in life like the companionship of a dog or a garden of flowers where she could sit and admire the beauty of the world.
On May 5, 1944 while still in Denmark, Mom married our father, Svend Christensen and the two became one. Over the next few years, our family grew to include John, Asger, Finn, Steen, Ann and Thomas. Back in the 1950s and 1960s there was a trickle of immigrants who left Denmark. It was the desire of many Danes to leave their country in search of a new lifestyle and a new home where there was little unemployment and a better future. Although Mom and Dad would always call Denmark home, they knew that they wanted a better life for their children. So in 1958, they moved to Canada, settling near Cedar Springs where Dad took a job at the Southwestern Regional Centre. It was in Canada that their family became complete with the addition of their son Michael. Once most of the children were grown and independent, Mom also took a job at the Southwestern Regional Centre, working in the dietary department. Mom and Dad were always grateful for the opportunities that were afforded to them in Canada and as they gave back as much as they could to make the world a better place.  Through it all, Mom was blessed with a long and happy life. She passed away on October 21, 2022 after being loved for 103 years. Her experiences in life were many and she was filled with gratitude. The best times of her life were spent watching her family grow to include grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The hardest times of her life were when she lost Svend in 1991, Ann in 2003 and Asger in 2005. Her favourite place became her cottage just outside Rodney where she would spend time by herself, remembering the good things in her life and making sense of the times that challenged
her.
In nature, a tree begins as a root. As the tree grows, its branches reach out in different directions but its roots always remain the same. It’s the same for families…we all grow in different directions but our roots remain the same. Mom and Dad’s “branches” reached from Denmark to Canada but their roots always remained in the place they called home; Denmark. In as much as they sacrificed what they had in 1958 to bring us to a land that would give us more opportunity, it is an honour now that we will return them home in Denmark to be buried together.

“Det var en aere at vaere dit barn”
“It was an honour to be your child”

A Celebration of Annie’s Life will be held in the Community Room at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home this Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm with refreshments being served.