Allen Christensen

Allen Clare Christensen was born April 14, 1935 to Clare Bernard and Relia Sarah Allen Christensen.  He died September 8, 2022 following a sudden illness.  Allen attended American Fork schools where he was active in the FFA and marching band.  He received BS with honors from BYU; MS, UC Davis, and PhD, Utah State.  Married Kathleen Ruth Atwater, December 19, 1958 in the Salt Lake Temple.  To them were born six children, Ann Marie, Allen Clare, Jr., James Lynn, Niel Daniel, Homer Atwater (deceased) and Eric Wayne. They were foster parents to eight other children. They had twenty-one grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Professionally he was an agricultural scientist.  He taught high school in Lund, Nevada, 1961-64.  He was a professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Dean of the College of Agriculture at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 1964-94. Served on the USAID/BIFAD Joint Committee for Agricultural Research and Development, 1982-87. Appointed by Governor Wilson as a member of the CA State Board for Food and Agriculture, 1991-94. He served as Professor and Director of the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute at BYU and LDS Humanitarian Services 2001-2011.  Appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the Board for International Food and Agriculture Development 2006-2008.

Active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as a bishop, high councilor, first president of the Chino CA Stake, president of the Philippines San Fernando Mission, Executive Secretary to the Pacific Islands Area Presidency, patriarch of the American Fork UT Stake and American Fork UT South Stake, gospel doctrine and home teacher and temple ordinance worker.

Author of a number of books and publications including Before Zion: An Account of the 7th Handcart Company; Bringing Dignity and Hope: The Work of the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute; Joseph’s Remnant: Lamanites in Today’s America; The Alpine Stake Tabernacle: A Historical Edifice; The Christensen Family of Sorø Denmark and American Fork, Utah; William Wilford Allen; Reflections and Remembrances: An Atypical Autobiography; The Philippines San Fernando Mission: A 1994-97 History and as general editor and a major co-author of Feeding the Forgotten: Agricultural Development for the World’s Small-Holder Farmer; as senior author-editor of the history of his parents, and 50 scientific and professional papers.

Survived by his wife, Kathleen Atwater Christensen, their children Ann (Richard) Anderson, Allen (Shannon) Christensen, James (Shellie) Christensen, Daniel (Carollynne) Christensen, Eric (Natalie) Christensen, his brother Niel (Helen) Christensen and sister Ann (Dewey) Nelson.  His brother Wayne (Cindy) Christensen preceded him in death earlier this year.

If you can stand more, come to the funeral.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday, September 16, 2022 at Anderson and Sons Mortuary 49 East 100 North, American Fork, Utah and prior to the funeral from 9:30 to 10:30 in the lower section of the Alpine Tabernacle, 110 East Main Street, American Fork.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 11:00 am in the Alpine Tabernacle, American Fork Utah.

Please click on the link below to watch Allen's services via live stream:

https://zoom.us/j/95075805524