I can't believe nothing is posted here for Ronnie. He was a larger-than-life one-of-a-kind character. We were only casually acquainted in high school, but after we were both married we lived in Richmond and a lot of fun together all summer and early fall of 1969. Somewhere, I still have his obit - I should find and post it here.
Ronnie died in a freak accident the week after we had been deer hunting together. He had skinned a deer out and was taking the hide out to a gully. I think he had the hid in the front loader bucket and planned to dump it in the gully. Apparently he got too close to the edge and the tractor started to slip sideways into the gully. He jumped or was thrown down into the gully and the rear tractor tire rolled over on him. His father, Garr, found him when he failed to return with the tractor. The hunting trip the week before was been a most memorable one....
He, Pat Caine, and I went up Cherry creek on Saturday a week before in a heavy snow storm. We rode horses, and the snow was up to their bellies. Ronnie was breaking trail and eventually he got bucked off when the horse got tired of being prodded up the trail. At that point, we tied the horses and hiked up thru the trees to the ridge and then worked some down slopes. I had the most unique hunting experience ever that morning with Ronnie. He was above me and I heard him shoot once, then he hollered "he's coming down toward you". I quickly found a place where I had an open shot across a large clearing in the slope below. I was just crossing some rock ledges that were 6" to a foot wide, 10-20 feet long and had at least a dozen ledges stacked vertically at about 80 degrees and dropping 3-4 feet between each one. I went to the middle, scrapped off the snow and sat down on a ledge with my back against the rock and rifle ready in case the deer crossed the clearing below.
Just as I sat down, I heard another shot and Ronnie hollered "he doubled back, but is heading down now". After just a few seconds watching the clearing, with heightened anticipation, I heard this click, Click, CLICK CLICK. I turned up to see a large 4 point buck coming down the ledges directly above me and about 20 feet away. We both saw each other at the same instant and the buck kind of flicked his head a bit to the side, then back, and just lowered his head so his rack was coming right at me. I barely had time to just lay back on the ledge I was sitting on and avoid his charge, otherwise we both would have tumbled a good 40-50 feet down the cliff of ledges. He stepped within a foot of where I was sitting, barely missing me with his hooves. I rolled over to see him already at the bottom and took a shot as he sped across the clearing. Missed, but what an experience. When Ronnie got down to where I was and I related what had happenned, we checked the footprints and both marvelled at my good fortune. I don't remember a lot about the rest of the hunting trip, but sometime the next week he got a deer that he had dressed out and was disposing of the hide when the accident ocurred.
Lots of other good memories about Ronnie, the last being of the pair of mules he brought back from his mission to Arkansas (I think?) pulling his casket on his old flatbed wagon to the cemetary. What a sight, what a guy!
Services Held for Victim of Tractor Accident
A large number of Star Valley relatives and friends attended funeral services held Thursday, Oct 30 in the Benson Stake Center, Richmond, Utah for Ronald Garr (Ronnie) Christensen, 21, of Richmond who was fatally injured on Oct 27 in a tractor accident at Richmond. Burial was in the Richmond Cemetery.
He was the husband of the former Donna Vee Nield of Afton. They were married last June 5, 1969 in the Logan LDS Temple, and enjoyed their honeymoon in the covered wagon.
Several of those attending from Star Valley took part in the funeral service.
Mr Christensen was born Feb 25, 1946, in Richmond the son of Garr Dee and Maxine Karren Christensen. A 1966 graduate from Sky View High School and Seminary, he filled an LDS mission to the Gulf states from 1967 to 1969. He was a Priest Quorum advisor and a member of the Richmond Riders Club, and the 854th Supply Reserve Army Corps in Logan.
Survivors include his widow; his parents of Richmond; brothers Kim and Bret, Richmond two sisters, Mrs Craig (Karren) Hall, Ogden, and Mrs Glen Lee (Dixie) Hansen Logan; his grandparents, Mrs Alta Christensen, Richmond and Mr and Mrs Leavitt Karren, Richland, Wash.
Bruce Collet
I can't believe nothing is posted here for Ronnie. He was a larger-than-life one-of-a-kind character. We were only casually acquainted in high school, but after we were both married we lived in Richmond and a lot of fun together all summer and early fall of 1969. Somewhere, I still have his obit - I should find and post it here.
Ronnie died in a freak accident the week after we had been deer hunting together. He had skinned a deer out and was taking the hide out to a gully. I think he had the hid in the front loader bucket and planned to dump it in the gully. Apparently he got too close to the edge and the tractor started to slip sideways into the gully. He jumped or was thrown down into the gully and the rear tractor tire rolled over on him. His father, Garr, found him when he failed to return with the tractor. The hunting trip the week before was been a most memorable one....
He, Pat Caine, and I went up Cherry creek on Saturday a week before in a heavy snow storm. We rode horses, and the snow was up to their bellies. Ronnie was breaking trail and eventually he got bucked off when the horse got tired of being prodded up the trail. At that point, we tied the horses and hiked up thru the trees to the ridge and then worked some down slopes. I had the most unique hunting experience ever that morning with Ronnie. He was above me and I heard him shoot once, then he hollered "he's coming down toward you". I quickly found a place where I had an open shot across a large clearing in the slope below. I was just crossing some rock ledges that were 6" to a foot wide, 10-20 feet long and had at least a dozen ledges stacked vertically at about 80 degrees and dropping 3-4 feet between each one. I went to the middle, scrapped off the snow and sat down on a ledge with my back against the rock and rifle ready in case the deer crossed the clearing below.
Just as I sat down, I heard another shot and Ronnie hollered "he doubled back, but is heading down now". After just a few seconds watching the clearing, with heightened anticipation, I heard this click, Click, CLICK CLICK. I turned up to see a large 4 point buck coming down the ledges directly above me and about 20 feet away. We both saw each other at the same instant and the buck kind of flicked his head a bit to the side, then back, and just lowered his head so his rack was coming right at me. I barely had time to just lay back on the ledge I was sitting on and avoid his charge, otherwise we both would have tumbled a good 40-50 feet down the cliff of ledges. He stepped within a foot of where I was sitting, barely missing me with his hooves. I rolled over to see him already at the bottom and took a shot as he sped across the clearing. Missed, but what an experience. When Ronnie got down to where I was and I related what had happenned, we checked the footprints and both marvelled at my good fortune. I don't remember a lot about the rest of the hunting trip, but sometime the next week he got a deer that he had dressed out and was disposing of the hide when the accident ocurred.
Lots of other good memories about Ronnie, the last being of the pair of mules he brought back from his mission to Arkansas (I think?) pulling his casket on his old flatbed wagon to the cemetary. What a sight, what a guy!
Christine Hughey (Partington)
Obituary from Find A Grave Memorial
Services Held for Victim of Tractor Accident
A large number of Star Valley relatives and friends attended funeral services held Thursday, Oct 30 in the Benson Stake Center, Richmond, Utah for Ronald Garr (Ronnie) Christensen, 21, of Richmond who was fatally injured on Oct 27 in a tractor accident at Richmond. Burial was in the Richmond Cemetery.
He was the husband of the former Donna Vee Nield of Afton. They were married last June 5, 1969 in the Logan LDS Temple, and enjoyed their honeymoon in the covered wagon.
Several of those attending from Star Valley took part in the funeral service.
Mr Christensen was born Feb 25, 1946, in Richmond the son of Garr Dee and Maxine Karren Christensen. A 1966 graduate from Sky View High School and Seminary, he filled an LDS mission to the Gulf states from 1967 to 1969. He was a Priest Quorum advisor and a member of the Richmond Riders Club, and the 854th Supply Reserve Army Corps in Logan.
Survivors include his widow; his parents of Richmond; brothers Kim and Bret, Richmond two sisters, Mrs Craig (Karren) Hall, Ogden, and Mrs Glen Lee (Dixie) Hansen Logan; his grandparents, Mrs Alta Christensen, Richmond and Mr and Mrs Leavitt Karren, Richland, Wash.
Mike Budge
Very interesting,
I always wondered how the accident happened. Some day I hope to meet Ronnie again in the here after. What a special personality he had.
Mike Budge