Mary Penrose Christensen

DOWNEY – Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Mary Penrose Christensen died May 8, 2002 in Downey, ID.

She was born August 25, 1913 in Cambridge Ward, ID on the family farm to Julia Abigail Coffin and Fred Penrose, the third of seven children. She attended grade school in Cambridge, high school in Downey, ID and two years of college at the University of Utah, where she received her teaching certificate. She returned to Cambridge to teach elementary school.

She joined Stanford Wayne Christensen in marriage on May 4, 1940. The marriage was later solemnized in the Logan, UT temple. Stan was killed in a car accident on May 4, 1963.

Mary was a devoted musician who sang for 53 years with the madrigal Choir of Downey, and in the 3 M’s (Margaret Boam, Mary and Muriel Wilding), a vocal group that sang both locally and throughout the southeastern Idaho region. She was always modest about her singing talents, and felt privileged to be part of this well known group.

She returned to teaching several years after her youngest started school and then returned to school herself in the summers at Idaho State University after Stan’s death. She loved literature, was silent about her education classes (she was loath to speak any ill), and graduated with honors in 1966. Her love of reading continued throughout her life and she was saddened by the late loss of her eyesight.

She loved teaching second grade and her students loved her. She had received countless cards, letters, phone calls and special visits from her many students. She was also a devoted friend and cherished her many friendships, which lasted a lifetime.

She was a devoted member of the LDS Church throughout her life and always served to the best of her abilities in many capacities. This included 14 years as a temple worker in Logan, which she loved in no small part because of all the wonderful people she met and worked with.

Because of an eye problem, she never would take the driver’s test and did not have a car. Thanks to her many devoted friends she never lacked places to go or someone to take her wherever she needed to go.

She is survived by a son, Paul (Eileen Bannon) of New York City; two daughters, Corliss (Vince) Whitehead of Clifton, ID; and Anne (Brent) Coats of Clifton and Smithfield, UT; a daughter, Kathy, her husband, Stan, three brothers, Horace, Paul in childhood, Wayne, and three sisters, Ruth, Vanessa and Anita preceded her in death.

Funeral services will be held May 11, 2002 in the Downey LDS Ward Chapel. Burial will be in the Downey City Cemetery. Arrangements are by Horsley’s Marsh Valley Funeral Home, Arimo.