Frances “Jeanne” Christensen (née Mittel). Widow at far too young an age of Silvano Giovanni Pacini. Beloved wife of Peter Thomas Christensen. Loving mother of Madonna (Vincent) Muscarello; the late Kathleen (Al) Liebe; and Kimberly (Steven) Paulson. Devoted grandmother of Maria (Danny) Sotelo; Regina (Paul) Bailey; LCDR Andy (Monika) Muscarello, USN; Mary (Colin) Adams; Nicole (Shawn) Cox, John and Christopher Lessner; Emma, Annabelle and Steven Paulson. Cherished great-grandmother of 13. Dear sister of Patricia (late George) Riedle; the late Eleanor (James) Witt, the late LaVergne Lester and the late Thomas (Pat) Mittel. Aunt to many devoted nieces and nephews.  Grateful friend to Cheryl Wallace.

Jeanne always attributed her great optimism, courage and tranquility under life’s vicissitudes to her place as the youngest in her large and loving family and to her Catholic faith.  From the Benedictine nuns who educated her, she passed on to her children, grandchildren and all who knew and loved her the maxim that prayer and work are the foundation of a righteous life and that moderation in all things will keep one balanced.  As a widow with two young babies at the age of 26, she acquired the habits of self-sacrifice and common sense that shaped all the rest of her life. Although she witnessed unsettling changes in the world around her, she neither complained about nor condemned them, saying “it is their time now; let them live their lives.”  Her children will testify that, whatever our objections to her maternal counsel at the time, in the end, we knew that Mom never gave us bad advice and our own lives ran more smoothly when we took that advice.  Even strangers who encountered her quickly found her both “gracious” and “lovely” and consistently undemanding.  Despite her bereavement at a tender age with two little ones, she spoke of dancing with her daughters in the kitchen, thanking God for His great Goodness in giving her babies to remind her of their father.  He blessed her again with her second husband, the kind and loving Thomas Christensen, and the beautiful curly blonde Kimberly. Her most frequent exhortation was that “everything will work out because God has everything under His control”, and her last legible words were “I want to go to Heaven now.”  May she rest in peace in the arms of the Lord she loved so much and in the company of her beloved family and friends who preceded her to their reward.

Visitation 9:30am until time of Mass, 10:30am on Friday, November 24 at St. James at Sag Bridge Parish, 10600 Archer Ave., Lemont. Interment to follow at All Saints Cemetery, 700 N. River Rd., Des Plaines, with family and friends meeting at the cemetery office at 12:30pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Chicago.

For Service Info: 708-352-6500