The Funeral Service for Christine Christman, age 95 of Lemmon will be held at 3:00pm on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at the New Hope Worship Center in Lemmon. Pastor Derrick Jones will officiate with burial in Greenhill Cemetery.

Serving as casketbearers are Kyle and Kallan Christman, Mark and Marlin Peterson, Quintin and David Christman, Larry Goodmanson, and Mark Evans. All family and friends are considered honorary bearers.


Christine (given name, Christina) G. Vik was born to Oscar and Gurine (Wirak) Vik, both of Norwegian descent, in Sweet Grass County, near Big Timber, MT, on October 19, 1918. She was the third of four children born to this union.

At home, the family spoke Norwegian. Christine attended grade school a mile or so from the homestead where she learned English and the family attended a country Lutheran Church in Melville. One of her childhood chores was to pound bones and eggshells into pieces to feed their chickens. Sometimes she would keep some of the bones to play with, using them to make up her herd of cattle, horses, sheep and various animals. She also had corrals made of sticks and enjoyed her homemade dolls. At age 13, she was cooking and baking bread for a lambing crew! She cooked at a dude ranch at the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, which enabled her to go on the trail rides as the Camp Cook when she was 15 years old. Christmas was always a special time for Christine. A favorite memory was putting lighted candles on the tree, with everyone holding hands and walking around it singing Christmas carols.

One of the teachers at Minot Bible College in Minot, ND, would occasionally invite student couples to their home for meals. It was during this time Christine met Al Christman and these meals became known as ""dates""! After college, Albert and Christine were married at the home of his parents, Henry and Caroline (Kessler) Christmann in Adams County, ND on Feb. 10, 1940. Because of Christine's generosity and love of family, she let several of her cousins in Norway borrow her wedding dress, which she had purchased in Butte, MT for their weddings. It has remained in Norway.

Christine had various jobs over the years, including cleaning at a motel in Whitehall, MT and when World War II began, Al and Christine moved to Wallace, ID where Al worked in the lead mines. A shortage of nurses made it possible for Christine to work at the infirmary and also assist the town dentist. Their first son, Hubert Ray, was born in Wallace on Sept. 1, 1946. In 1947, they moved to Gilstrap Township in Adams County, ND, and began farming and ranching. Their second son, Rodney Allen, was born in Hettinger March 9, 1950. Christine painted houses, cooked at the local school and enjoyed selling Raleigh and Avon products. She also managed the Truck Stop Café in Lemmon for several years.

She will always be remembered for her genuine hospitality and as a fun-loving, happy person with a smile on her face. Music was much a part of her life. She, and sisters-in-law, Alvina and Burl, formed the ABC Trio years ago and were excited to even sing on the radio! She was a long-time, active member of the Church of God, and one always knew how important God was in her life. She was a devoted Christian and remarked many times how thankful she was that her parents brought her up to love the Lord. Christine also loved people! Entertaining guests and having coffee parties were a delight and one can never forget her decorated cakes, homemade pies, rolls and lefse!

Al and Christine sold their farm and moved to Lemmon in the fall of 2002. Al died Jan. 7, 2007 after nearly 67 years of marriage. Christine never wanted to leave her hometown, her church and her friends and had been a resident of Five Counties Nursing Home since the fall of 2010, where she passed away early Tuesday morning, November 5.

Grateful for having shared her life are son, Ray Christman, Englewood, CO; step-grandchildren, Alethea McClure and Kirsten Newhall; step-great grandchildren, Maddie and Alice McClure and TJ Newhall; son, Rod Christman and his wife, Wendy, Clark, SD; grandchildren, Kyle Christman and his wife, Amber, Eagan, MN; Kallan Christman, Clark, SD; and great-grandchildren, Abby and Jack Christman. Other survivors include Arthur and Marilyn Christman, Meadow, SD; Marvin and Janelle Christmann, Afton Hills, MN; Bonnie Christmann, Hettinger, ND; Lillian and Ed Nelson, Rogers, MN; Jens Hanson, Meadow, SD; Edith and Leon Brodie, Rapid City, SD; and many nieces and nephews.

Christine was preceeded in death by her parents, her husband and her siblings Christian Vik, Olga Savchenko and Clara Peterson.

Visitation will be on Friday from 1:00 to 7:00pm and on Saturday 9:00am to 12 noon at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon; and one hour prior to services at the New Hope Worship Center in Lemmon.