Julie Diane Christian

1954 - 2019

Julie Diane Christian passed away in Murphys on Dec. 29, 2018, after fighting ovarian cancer for five years.
Julie's life started in Fresno, born to Charles and Wanda Fletcher on Jan, 23, 1954. She later moved to Modesto and graduated from Modesto High School. In 1974 she married her first husband, John Kirkpatrick. Together they had three children, Josh, Juliann and Jaclyn. Their marriage later ended.
Julie married Tom Christian of Murphys on Sept. 13, 1997 in Meyers. Together they added three children, David, Meredith and Billy.
Julie lived in Soulsbyville and in Murphys. She worked for the Tri-County Consortium where she touched many lives working with special needs students. She was an extremely talented teacher and mentor! In her younger years she had attended Modesto Junior College and Columbia Junior College with the goal of becoming a teacher. Her career proved that being an excellent teacher wasn't to be defined by a degree! She retired from teaching at Bret Harte High School with health issues in 2013.
Julie loved all animals and left behind her cat, Tessie, and dog, KT. Her favorite vacation spots were Lake Tahoe and the California coast. She was a member of the LDS Church in Murphys, where she was a devoted member, and loved her church and her church family.
Julie is survived by her husband of 22 years, Tom Christian; children, Josh (Davia) Kirkpatrick of Knights Ferry, and their three children, Juliann (Nick) Schader of Cedar Ridge, and seven children, Jac Kirkpatrick of Oakland, David (Annalisa) Christian and 3 children of Arnold, Meredith (Nick) Nyden and two children of Breckenridge, Colorado., and Billy and Brittany Christian of Felton; mother, Wanda Seals of Oakdale, sister, Pam and husband Lee Gonzales of Hughson, a brother, Chris Seals of Oakdale; former husband, John Kirkpatrick of Modesto; and nieces, nephews and many other family members. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Fletcher of Mesa, Arizona.
Julie's burial took place in January 2019 at the San Joaquin Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Santa Nella. She was a great wife, daughter, mother and grandmother. We miss her so much! Memorial donations can be made in Julie's honor to Mark Twain Cancer Center in San Andreas.