Cloudy, 37° F
(May 29, 2003)
Connie Smith-Christiansen died at the Powell Hospital Thursday morning, May 29 at the age of 54 from a long-term illness.
She was born April 4, 1949, in Midland, Mich., daughter of Ray Smith and Nora Genn Doerfner. She lived and graduated from Midland, Mich., High School in 1967 and attended the University of Colorado.
She sold real estate in the Denver area and later became regional manager for Mile High Yogurt Company and district manager for Colman Natural Beef of Colorado.
She was married to Michael John Christiansen of Powell on Aug. 31, 1991, on the South Platte River near Decker, Colo.
She and her husband resided in Germany and England for the past 11 years where she enjoyed traveling and fishing. But most of all, she enjoyed her gardening, learning plant names in both English and Latin. At one point, she had nearly one acre of flowers and vegetables under cultivation.
She is survived by her husband of Powell, Michael J. Christiansen; two daughters, Heather Dittmer of Brighton, Colo., and Shannon Morrin of North Berwick, Maine; six grandchildren, Robyn Lynne Guthrie, Meg Marie Guthrie, Daniel James Dittmer, Page Marie, Alexandria Kyle and Ethan Robert Morrin; her mother-in-law, Katherine E. Christiansen of Powell; three sisters, Stevie Davis, Mary Kay Martin and Patti Schwarz, and one brother, Randy Smith, and her stepmother, Molly Smith, all of Michigan; and many nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place, and a memorial service will take place on the family estate at Red Pine, nearly Graylind, Mich., on June 7. Her ashes will be spread near the old family cabin on the Ausable near where she caught her first trout and spent most of her younger years.
A memorial service will be held in Powell for her friends in July. She will be dearly missed by family and friend, both here and in Europe.
