Jack W. Christner

A memorial service for Jack W. Christner, 85, a Carson City resident, will be a 9 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian Church in Carson City.

Mr. Christner died Sept. 14, 2003, at his home. He was born April 11, 1918, in Willard, Colo., to Warren G. and Flora Peck Christner.

He graduated from Willard High School and Colorado State University.

He married Shirley Stoops of Gary, Colo., at St. Francis, Kan. in 1941.

Mr. Christner was a third generation U.S. Army combat veteran. He served in World War II from Utah Beach across France at the Bulge, across Germany with the Third Army earning four campaign stars and the bronze star. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.

He was a professional forester and worked on the Arapaho Forest in Colorado. After developing the Colorado State Forest Tree Nursery at Ft. Collins, Colo., he came to Nevada as the staff forester and forest tree nurseryman for the Nevada Division of Forestry in 1966. From 1967-77 when he retired, he was Carson City Welfare and Civil Defense Director. He was an elder and a deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Carson City. He had been a Gideon and a Mason. He served as a member of the Northern Nevada United Way Board, as Carson City Boy Scout Commissioner and as the Salvation Army representative. He had been a continuous daily volunteer for Friends in Service Helping since 1983.

He was preceded in death by a sister.

Among his survivors are his wife Shirley of Carson City; sons Jere J. of Sitka, Alaska and Kurt W. of Carson City; sister Charlotte Corbin of Greeley, Colo.; grandchildren Jayson and Matthew Christner of Sitka and Faith of Portland, Ore. and great-grandchildren Megan, Leah and Allison of Sitka.

Cremation will be at FitzHenry's Crematory.

Inurnment will be at the Northern Nevada Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

FitzHenry's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.