Mary Ann Childs

Mary Ann Childs, age 82, died peacefully with her family by her side at Salida Hospital on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Mary Ann was a proud Mother of 4, Grandmother of 13, and Great-grandmother to 13, with the 13th  grandchild born only seven hours after her death.

Mary Ann was born March 19th 1937 in Rye Colorado to Marvin and Myrtle Becher.  She was raised in Rye.  After high school she married Darold F Green, of Cairo Nebraska, on February 26 1956.

Children were soon a part of the family with their first  and only daughter, Carol Ann, born April 20th 1957.  Next came the first of three boys, David Floyd, born on May 7 1958,  while they were living in Pueblo Colorado.

Their third child, Dale Earl, was born on Sept 4th 1960 in Grand Island Nebraska while the family was trying out living in the farming land of her husband’s birth. 

Life in Nebraska was not to Mary’s liking, so the family moved back to Colorado and took up residency in the high mountain town of Leadville, where their 4th and last child, Derwin Scot, was born on September 9th 1966. Scot did not take well to the thin air in the high altitude, so the family moved to Salida in the winter of that same year.

Mary Ann and family spent most of the their childrearing years in Salida and Hotchkiss Colorado with a 8 year stint in Knoxville Iowa, returning to Salida after their youngest child, Scot, graduated from high school.

A short time after returning to Salida, Mary Ann lost her first love Darold to a heart attack on January 20th 1986.  After his death, Mary Ann continued living in Colorado for several years before relocating to Springville, Utah where her 3rd child Dale was living.

It was at this time she caught the eye of a widower, France Childs.  They were soon married in May of 1990.  France and Mary Ann spent 12 years together in Utah before France died at the age of 82, in April of 2002.

Mary Ann then returned to live close to her daughter Carol Abbott in Salida, where she spent a lot of time with family, sewing and quilting.

After a few years back in Salida, she started spending time with an old family friend, Donald Christensen. Don and Mary Ann enjoyed each other’s company and were soon married in July 15th 2010.  The couple enjoyed their time together visiting family, taking road trips, and watching old westerns on television- an activity they enjoyed up to the end of her life.

Mary Ann is preceded in death by her parents Marvin and Myrtle Becher, sisters Margret Prichard and Normi Stanbro, husband Darold Green,  and husband France Childs.

Survivors include: husband Donald Christensen; daughter Carol (Ed) Abbott Salida Colorado, sons David (Sherri) Green Mobile Alabama, Dale (Andra) Green Orem Utah, Scot (Cheryl) Green Sandy Utah; Grandchildren: Alissa (Nick) Margos Salida, Karen (Mike) Gross Salida, Brenda (Zach) Spezze Salida, Andre Abbott Salida, Adam Green Orem Utah, Amie Winward Provo Utah, Austin (BryAnn) Green Springville Utah, Alex Andra Green Orem Utah, Autumn Green Colorado Springs Colorado, Kathryn(Wesley) Jenkins Mobile Alabama, Kristen (Micah) Holmes Saraland Alabama, Ben Green Sandy Utah, Cami Green Sandy Utah; 13 great-grandchildren; extended family: Morris (Sandra) Christensen Salida, Marvin (Donna) Christensen Salida, Colleen Ashmore  Nebraska,  Leslie (Al) Hamilton Thornton Colorado, Kelvin (Sara) Christensen Harrisburg Pennsylvania, 22 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

Services will be held on January 10th  2019 at 11 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1140 Poncha Boulevard, Salida, Colorado 81201.

Viewing will start at 10:15 AM before the service.

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