Stephen

Stephen Kohler Christensen born September 20, 1956

     In August of 1955, our plans were interrupted when I received a call from the Department of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion to see if I would accept a contract to teach seminary beginning in September of 1955.  They offered me a choice of several locations including Wasatch High in Heber City, one in Arizona and another at Granite High School in Salt Lake City.

     I ended up signing a contract to teach released-time seminary at Granite High School in Salt Lake City for the 1955-56 school year. We were living in the basement apartment owned by Dora Nelson.  We enjoyed some challenging Church callings while living there in the 33rd Ward of the Pioneer Stake, including being called to be the Explorer Scout leader just a few days after arriving.  I didn’t know at the time, but the boys had had three other leaders the same year before we had moved into the ward.  I won’t take time telling the whole story, but to give you an idea of the group, I will share just a little:  The first Tuesday night I attended with the group at MIA, I wanted to become personally acquainted with the group.  There were about 10-12 in attendance.  I asked them to tell me their names.  They went around the room and each shared a name which I soon found out was a pseudonym and not their own.  They also said, “You won’t be here long.  You will be like the rest of them.  You will be out of here in three months.”  I replied, “You may not be here in three months, but I will be and I hope you will be too.”

     As it worked out, I noticed the two who seemed like the informal peer group leaders, Tom Manwaring and Garn Christensen.  I invited them to our apartment and Barbara had fixed some fresh cinnamon rolls and cold milk and we had a meeting in which we became acquainted.  We mutually agreed on some of our goals and also, that they would serve as our group’s leaders.  The next Tuesday night, as we got started, Roger Fox, who had just been released from juvenile detention for having broken into the skylight of the local Safeway store, came in about ten minutes tardy and walked stepping on the tops of the benches from the back of the scout room to the front row and plopped down.  Garn, who was quite muscular, stood up and grabbed Roger around the waist, lifted him up and sat him firmly down and said, “We don’t do that around here!”  From then on, things went a lot better and the group even joined in the spring, presenting a full sacrament meeting program to the ward with speeches and Tom’s singing a vocal solo—much to the amazement of the congregation.  I consider that the most challenging calling I have had in the Church and still one of the most satisfying.

     In the spring, about in March of 1956, we that knew that sometime, likely in September, we were expecting the birth of our third child, who came to be Stephen. We were thrilled to have a son added to the daughters.

     Stephen was born September 20, 1956 in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City (22 days after his expected due date Barbara reminds me).  It was at the time that we had just moved into our first home located in Orem at 64 West 750 North Street.  It was all of 600+/- square feet in size with two bedrooms, a living room, one bathroom and kitchen.  The houses in the sub-division had been built specially to accommodate veterans and young families.  We were pleased to be in our “own” home.

     When labor finally began, we left Midway for the hospital in Salt Lake, only to arrive at the mouth of Parley’s Canyon and find it closed due to construction. They were detouring everyone way south. We didn’t dare take that much time. So I prevailed upon the watchman and he let us through. It wasn’t too comfortable for Barbara since the road was rough and unpaved. We arrived safely and labor was only about four hours.

     During the delivery of babies at that time, the policy was to keep the expectant fathers in a waiting room as far away from the mothers as they could.  When Stephen was born, Dr. Sharp called on the intercom and said, “You lucky dog.  It is a boy!”  We were thrilled to, as someone said, now “to have all the kinds of children Brigham Young had—girls and a boy.” Stephen weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces. He was a very handsome baby and we were and are so happy he came to our family. We blessed Steve in Midway. He was a very good baby and much adored by his two sisters. They were always good tenders.

     While I attended school that year, I also taught two classes. That made it possible for us to live financially. Barbara spent all her time with the three little ones. They did lots of reading together, which they always loved. We also had a nice little yard and they spent a lot of time playing in the yard together. We had much fun together.

     Stephen was always very determined to do whatever came to his mind.  Although we didn’t clamor for having large pets/dogs, he wanted a Springer Spaniel which he found and acquired. 

     Also, I remember that he wanted to wash the car.  In the process, he climbed on top of the car with the hose and unfortunately fell off the car injuring his head and suffered a concussion.  He had to be very still for quite some time and we were grateful for Eric Hayes coming over regularly to visit and help entertain him.

     Steven has always been fascinated with living things. When Steve was nine I wrote that "Stephen and Douglas adjust to life in their semi-finished room downstairs, with an unusual collection of models, animals (both real and imaginary), tools, unidentified miscellany, and a collection of plants year-round that causes us to think that Stephen is intent on finishing what Luther Burbank left undone." When Steven was eleven, I commented that "Steven hasn't overcome his propensity to tease -- in fact, I don't think he is even working on it." When Stephen became a teenager, we thought it would be good for him to learn to work on the farm in Banida and so for several summers he spent weeks there and became a favorite of my folks and younger sister, Peggy.  He really caught on to things and became an excellent tractor driver and helper in a multitude of ways at a time when my folks really could use the help.  Those weeks on the farm could be one of the reasons that Stephen became an attorney so that “he could afford to farm” as evidenced by the cows, cattle, chickens and land he now operates in the Farmington area of their home.

     Stephen also came with a wide range of talents and interests.  He was selected to receive the “Hope of America” award while attending the Bonneville Elementary School.  He was a member of the varsity East High wrestling team and an accomplished scholar.  He spent several summers working on the Christensen family farm in Banida, Idaho, and got farming “into his blood.”  As we often have said, “He chose to practice law so he could afford to farm.”  He served his mission in the Costa Rica San Jose Mission and as an Assistant to his President.  In addition to Costa Rica, he traveled into Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua on assignments.  He chose to wait for Marilyn while she served her mission in Canada and then they were married.  He was graduated from the BYU school of law and has specialize in real estate.  A few years ago, he was named as the “Distinguished Practicing Real Estate Attorney in the State of Utah.”  Wherever they have lived, Stephen has been called to leadership positions including, Elders’ Quorum President, Bishop’s counselor, Bishop, Stake President and President of the Guatemala City East Mission.   He has been successful in teaching their nine children how to work on the farm, garden, caring for the cattle, chickens, milking the cows, etc.  All nine children have served full-time missions.