Gwen Johnson Christensen

Gwen Johnson Christensen
Gwen Johnson Christensen passed away in Provo, Utah on April 16, 2007. She was born September 1, 1919 in Sigurd, Utah, to Joseph B. and Milda Dastrup Johnson. On June 19, 1941, she married Phillip V. Christensen in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple.
Gwen was born with a unquenchable thirst for knowledge and an ardent love of reading. She enjoyed school and took particular pleasure in drama. In grade school she recruited her friends to portray Tarzan and Jane from the treetops. In junior high school she wrote and produced her first play and continued to act, write and produce throughout high school. She worked her way through college and graduated from Brigham Young University with high honors. Completing a double major in English, Speech and Dramatic Arts, she also obtained a teaching degree. She met her husband-to-be, Phil, while they were both acting in plays.
As a young bride during World War II, Gwen worked in New Orleans at the Port of Embarkation. Since she had acted in plays all her life, she possessed a remarkable memory and was once investigated by a major in the Army as a spy because she had unintentionally memorized long numbers and secret codes. Imagine the major's surprise when he learned that the FBI already had a full dossier on Gwen since she was married to an FBI agent.
In her spare time, Gwen continued acting, presenting a three-act play in the French Quarter. After living and working in Indiana and New Jersey, Phil and Gwen were transferred to Los Angeles, California. They then moved to Utah so Phil could take over the family law business. By this time Gwen had begun a new role in life, that of a mother to a son and later three daughters.
People were Gwen's passion, and she loved serving others whether it was offering a needed shoulder to cry on or sponsoring families from a foreign country. As a member of The LDS Church, Gwen was Relief Society President many times, her first experience when she was in her early twenties. She completed a stake mission and two missions with her husband Ð one in Greece, where they served as international missionaries and one to Missouri, where they were Directors of the Independence Visitors' Center. She served as a temple worker in the Provo LDS Temple for many years and was active in the PTA all during her children's school years.
She was a wonderful, loving mother to one son, Bryce Christensen (wife Elizabeth), and three daughters; Mrs. Scott (Betty) Briggs, Mrs. William (Ann) Bunker and Mrs. Michael (Mary) Patterson. She was also loved and will be sorely missed by fifteen grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren. She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Dennis (Beth) Bradshaw and was preceded in death by a brother, Hugh Johnson.
A viewing will be held on Friday, April 20, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street. Interment will be at the Manti City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to info@bergmortuary.com. As eight-year-old MaKenna Briggs said of her great-grandmother, Gwen, "We will miss listening to your good and happy stories," and as her brother, five-year-old Kyson said, "You will always be in our heart."