Larry John Christensen

Larry John Christensen, 86, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Bemidji, MN, surrounded by his family on August 14, 2022.

Memorial services are pending and will be held in Detroit Lakes, MN.

Larry was born on October 17, 1935, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes, MN to Floyd and Durema Christensen.  He was the eldest of five children.  The family lived in Waubun, MN, for five years on a small farm until Floyd was drafted to serve in WWII as a US Marine.  Right before he shipped out in 1942, he told Larry that “he was the man of the house now.” Durema, pregnant at the time, and the three kids moved to Detroit Lakes to be near family.  Larry and his younger brother Gerald “Skip”, were very close. They were separated in age by only 13 months.  Larry attended Holy Rosary School through the 8th grade, and he graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1953.  After high school, he worked on a surveying crew for the State Highway Department. In 1954, Larry was drafted into the Army at various stateside bases, ending up at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was honorably discharged in 1955. Upon returning home, Larry rekindled his romance with Sharon Root, also from Detroit Lakes, whom he met and dated before he left for basic training. He also attended Moorhead State University and graduated in 1961 with a major in mathematics and minors in physical sciences and social studies. Larry and Sharon were married on September 5, 1958, in Detroit Lakes.  They had two children, Wendy in 1961 and David in 1964.  His teaching career started in Hancock, MN in 1961, where he taught math and science as well as coaching junior varsity basketball. In 1966, the family moved back to Detroit Lakes where Larry taught for the Job Corps Program near Tamarack Refuge.  In 1967, Larry began teaching at Bemidji High School and would retire in 1995. Retirement allowed him to spend more hunting, fishing, golfing, and spending time with family.  He loved his Black Labs all of whom were part of the family. 

Larry is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sharon Christensen; daughter, Wendy Christensen; son, David (Heather) Christensen; granddaughters, Annika & Kyra Christensen; sister, Carol (Tom) Dretsch; nephews, Aaron Dretsch and Tom Christensen; nieces, Jessica Dretsch and Joan Christensen Mackowick; great nieces, Jenna and Rachael Mackowick and his black lab, Nikky. He is preceded in death by sister, Dorothy Lee Christensen in 1966; father, Floyd Christensen in 1981; brother-in-law, Thomas Dretsch, and his mother, Durema Christensen, both in 1999; brother, Gerald “Skip” Christensen in 2019; and sister, Doreen Kile in 2021.  

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