by Jake Christenson Obituary, Death – 12/12/2022 Venice, FL On December 12, 2022, at the age of 82, Jack Elwood Christensen, who resided in Venice, Florida, went to be with his lord and savior peacefully. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing. On the 24th of June in the year 1940, Jack Christensen was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to parents named Stuart and Margaret Christensen. Jack had lived in Caledonia for his entire life and received his high school diploma from Caledonia High School. He took great pleasure in tending to his property and breeding Quarter horses alongside his family. After 40 years of service, Jack reached the rank of Captain in the detective department of the Kent County Sheriff’s Department before taking early retirement. After he retired, Jack split his time between Caledonia in the summers and Florida in the winters.
Jack’s passion was displaying American Quarter horses, and he was successful enough to win a number of national prizes. On the other hand, Jack is famous and will be remembered for the incredible life tales he told, his knowledge, and his ability to mend virtually anything. Because of his faith and confidence in Christ, he was able to keep a healthy perspective on life at all times and never let it get him down. Due to the amazing manner in which he conducted himself throughout the horse showing, Jack was almost universally considered to be a crowd favorite. In the issue of the American Quarter Horse Journal that was published in January 1999, Jack is quoted as saying the following about his demeanor in the show pen: “As for his attitude in the show pen, Jack says, “People would come out of the show pen moping because they didn’t win, or the horse did something wrong.” I’m sorry, but I just can’t work up enough anger about any of this.
I have seen things that are much worse than this, yet this one doesn’t even compare. When things are at their most worst, there is no way out. At the horse show, you can always try again tomorrow. Jack Christensen’s parents, Stuart and Margaret Christensen, as well as his brother, Roger Christensen, all passed away before him. Nancy Christensen, his wife of 62 years, his son Tim Christensen and his wife Kevin, his brother Jerry Christensen, his sisters Marilyn (Craig) Schaefer and Dorothy (Michael) Kaminski, his daughter-in-law Kathy Christensen, his sister-in-law Paula Harmon, and a number of nieces and nephews are the only surviving members of his family to carry on his legacy. At the Stroo Funeral Home, which is located at 1095 68th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there will be a viewing on December 27 from 3 to 7 o’clock in the evening. Funeral Services will be place at Ideal Park Christian Reformed Church on December 28 at 11 am. The church is located at 320 56th Street SW in Grand Rapids, Michigan 49548. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Ideal Park Christian Reformed Church, located at 320 56th Street Southwest, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49548.
