Roland Martin Christensen

Roland Martin Christensen started his life’s journey March 1, 1923 on a dry land farm in Garden County, Nebraska, the second of two sons born to Christen Lauritz Christensen and Emma (Lehmkuhl) Christensen. His father was of Danish descent and his mother, German. Roland and his brother, Christen Darwin “Dar” Christensen married sisters, Lois and Betty Munson in 1944. Roland had joined the U.S. Navy the year before to become a pilot. Roland began his Navy career as a fighter pilot and instructor during WWII and flew helicopter rescue missions from the Bon Homme Richard in Korea in 1952-53 pulling downed pilots from the icy sea. He served 22 years in the Navy and Naval Reserves and returned to flying in 1965 as a helicopter check pilot for the Army at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas during the Viet Nam War. Roland then began another career with the Department of Defense as a Housing Manager. During this phase, he completed a tour at Ansbach, Germany and retired from Fort Sam Houston in 1986, settling in San Antonio with Lois after living in over 30 different homes together. Roland and Lois raised three children, Nancy, Charles, and Jane. The couple has been active in church and social activities and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Roland, an accomplished woodworker and painter produced many treasured pieces that will be admired and cherished for a long time. He loved gardening and always had a fresh flower on the table for Lois in the growing season. Roland was a fisherman and an explorer who drove thousands of miles crisscrossing the country – always seeking the scenic routes or short cuts. As his youngest daughter, Jane recalls, “Dad’s shortcuts became known simply as alternate routes.” He was the pilot, not the navigator. Many of the cross-country jaunts were centered on genealogy research in pursuit of ancestral connections. Roland and Lois travelled through Germany and Denmark looking for Roland’s roots and Sweden seeking Lois’s family origins. The family tree is quite extensive and Nancy has documented the results of the research for posterity. Roland bowled in a local league, was active in the neighborhood association and on the COPS patrol, a card player all his life who enjoyed poker night with his buddies. Roland had an uncanny wit and was an eternal optimist who found the best in everyone he encountered.

His family includes his wife Lois Jean of 69 years, his daughter Nancy King, Raleigh, NC; Charles (Leanne) Christensen, Bartlesville, OK; and Jane Miller, San Antonio; Seven grandchildren, William King (Jennifer and kinder Katherine and Will); Benjamin Miller (Patty and kinder Andy, Aaron, and Benjamin), San Antonio; Katie (Greg Williston and son Cash), Owasso, OK; Andrew Miller, San Antonio; Anna (Brian Bollinger and son Simon), Clarkston, GA; Zachary Miller, San Antonio, and Hayley Miller, San Antonio.

The visitation will be held on Sunday, March 30, 2014 from 2:00 – 5:00 P.M. at Sunset Funeral Home, 1701 Austin Hwy. The funeral service will be held on Monday, March 31, 2014 at 10:00 A.M. at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, 2738 MacArthur View., San Antonio, Texas 78217. The interment will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.