KIRSTEN HALKJAER

1942 - 2019

KIRSTEN
HALKJAER

EAU CLAIRE, WI. - Kirsten, a devoted and loved mother, was born November 6, 1942 in Copenhagen, Denmark and was promoted to the higher life on July 18, 2019 in Eau Claire, WI at the age of 76.
She is survived by a son, Dr. Herbert Lee Nigg of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a daughter, Dr. Karen Margrethe Lane of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a sister, Birgitte Engelbrecht of Copenhagen, Denmark, three grandchildren, Charlotte, Megan and Jakob and three great-grandchildren, Elise, Jack and David. She was a 45 year resident of Winter Haven, Florida. Through her mother, Karen Margrethe (Svendsen) Halkj r, she is a great-granddaughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. Through her father, Svend Victor Valdemar Emil Halkj r, she is a descendant of a Danish Viking tribe. She worked for the Danish Merchant Marine and was a fashion model in Europe and the United States.
During World War II, in German occupied Denmark, her parents risked their lives to smuggle Danish Jews to neutral Sweden. She instilled in her children the family legacy of protecting and defending humanity and spent over two decades practicing what she taught as a social worker for the state of Florida helping individuals and families improve their lives. She liked rock and roll and spent time with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, knew how to tell a joke (sometimes dirty) and enjoyed her mead and gammel dansk. She was a student of metaphysics and appreciated the mediumship at Life Fellowship Church of Tampa, Florida. She was an avid animal lover, especially cats. She loved nature and believed in protecting the environment. She was a true green thumb and had a depth of knowledge regarding plants.
Any donation, in her memory, should be made to the World Wildlife Fund, any organization protecting threatened and endangered species, the Nature Conservancy or any organization protecting the natural environment.
A celebration of life will be held on August 26, 2019 at 6:00 pm at the Elevation Church of Green Bay, Wisconsin.