Verla Ann Christensen

Verla Ann Christensen, 80, of Fountain Hills, passed away peacefully at home in the presence of her family on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, after a long illness. She went to the Lord with family at her side or on the phone expressing their love and blessings for her journey with Jesus.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who will be missed deeply by all she touched. Her legacy of life was her devotion to her family and love for others and willingness to help anyone in need no matter how large or small the request may be. She always put others before herself and brightened every occasion by her presence.

Verla was born on April 27, 1934 on a farm near Walnut, Iowa to Raymond George Suhr and Josephine Mildred Blakeley. She graduated from Walnut High School in 1952, and worked in the Suhr family business and the Walnut State Bank until she married Howard Alan Christensen from Atlantic, Iowa. And then she became a “scrub-in” tech assistant at the University of Iowa Hospital.

After Howard’s graduation, his career took the couple to numerous cities, including Kansas City, Mo., Birmingham, Ala., St. Joseph, Mo., Detroit, Mich. and Scottsdale and Fountain Hills.

Verla was active in a number of civic, charitable and religious organizations in these cities and was a devout member of the Lutheran Church.

Verla was a gourmet cook and baker, and with her love for serving others, she was always willing to serve any size party for family or friends, all with homemade tasty treats, which was always followed by recipe requests that she was so happy to share. Her homes were always considered the neighborhood gathering place where no one left hungry or without having a great time.

She is survived by her husband, Howard, and children, Debra Harmon and husband, Joe, of Scottsdale, and their sons Zachary of Chandler, and Jacob of Denver, Colo.; JoElyn Hennington and her daughters, Lindsey and Nicole of Scottsdale; Jeff Christensen and wife Karen and son Tyler of Darien, Conn.

Verla is also survived by a brother, Kenneth, and his wife, Marie, of Walnut Iowa; a sister, Marilyn Singer, and her husband, John of Omaha, Neb.; and a brother, Terry Suhr, and wife, Cindy, of Walnut, Iowa; sister-in-law, Hazel, also of Walnut, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Verla is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, James, and his wife, Carol; brother, Charles, and brother-in-law, Ivan Pedersen, and his wife, Winifred of Rockford, Ill.; and sister-in-law, Norma Jean Sothman, of Atlantic, Iowa.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Fountain Hills during the Christmas holidays, her favorite time of the year.

In lieu of flowers, the family would request a memorial donation to the Cancer Comfort Centers. Information can be found on www.cancercomfortcenters.org.