Obituaries » Edna Winifred Christensen (Harnish)

Edna Winifred Christensen (Harnish)

October 10, 1926 - January 10, 2020

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, January 13th, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lebanon, OR. Viewing will take place at noon, prior to the funeral. Final burial will take place at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 14th, at City View Cemetery in Salem, OR. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.

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Edna Winifred Christensen, 93, of Lebanon, Oregon passed away Friday, January 10, 2020 in Lebanon. She was born on October 10, 1926 in Chili, Monroe, New York to Ezra Winfield and Genevieve Thelma (O’Dell) Harnish. She was the younger of two daughters. Her sister, Dorothy, preceded her in death.

Edna’s parents divorced when she was about 12. In 1939, she moved from New York State to California with her mother and future step-father, August Robillard, and his daughter, Theresa. Edna married Harvey Lee Pankretz on July 10, 1948. He was a lineman. They had five children: Stephen, Douglas, Carol, Wendy, and Garry. The family lived in many cities in California before moving to Albany, Oregon in 1962. Edna divorced Harvey in 1968.

Edna married Jim Drake in 1968. She joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1971. Edna and Jim divorced in 1983. Edna married Harold Clark in the Portland, Oregon Temple in 1990. She and Harold served as missionaries in the Denver, Colorado Mission. Harold passed away in 1998. Edna married Steven Christensen in November of 2000. They served a mission in the Utah Salt lake City Mission 2001. Steve passed away January 25, 2008.

Edna loved her grandchildren, reading, gardening, sewing, playing board games, and was an avid basketball fan.

Edna is survived by her five children: Stephen (Lynne) Pankretz of Los Lunas, NM, Douglas (Vickie) Pankretz of Olympia, WA, Carol Demaris of McMinnville, Wendy Barnes of Bastrop, TX, and Garry (Linda) Pankretz of Tillamook; stepchildren, Harold (Linda) Clark of Hillsboro, Marie (Jeff) Pearson of West Valley City, UT, Dennis (LaDawn) Clark of Lebanon, Russ (Marilyn) Clark of Georgia; Susan (Steve) Neal of Pendleton; half brother, Marty Robillard of Twain Harte, CA; 55 grandchildren and numerous great and great great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, January 13th, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lebanon, OR. Viewing will take place at noon, prior to the funeral. Final burial will take place at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 14th, at City View Cemetery in Salem, OR. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.