Theodore 'Ted' Christopherson

Theodore 'Ted' Evan Christopherson, son of Kjartan and Gudrun ´Rooney´STONESON Christopherson, grandson of Sigurður Christopherson was born 24 Sep 1918. Died 03 Jul 1979 Event Place: Stanislaus, California, United States Source.

Ted was the 3rd son of 9 children. They lived near Grund, Sigurdur's homestead bought by his son, William, which still remains in the family, owned by the Skardals. Nelson Gerrard has extensive information regarding the familys location at Grund, Argyle District, Manitoba which will be out in his new three volume books in the future. While all the children survived at a time when many did not, their father Kjartan came down with the Spanish Flu. Roy was lucky enough to have known Kay, Gudrun and his other grandfather, Gudbrandur Einarson. However, due to Roy being one of the younger nephews, and living 20 miles or so south, his time with them was limited. His only memory of his GM, 'Ronney' STONESON was in her open casket. Ted was a natural at mechanics and electronics. For a time, Ted and his brother Henry were the only ones at Christopherson & Sons Realty, started by their father. At one time, all the brothers worked there, according to Hank.

Ted was a Elec Appliance Serviceman, according to his military records. He had a reddish case in his shop which was a tube tester for the TVs. He was always replacing ours in the family room. Pauline wanted him to go to work for ARC Electric. They lived in Broadmoor, then Millbrae, Calif..

Ted and Pauline separated, then divorced. Ted had started selling property at Lake Comanche and staying at the bunk house Roy visited during a summer vacation. This is by Modesto, California where they filmed American Graffiti later on. Ted then went to Lake Don Pedro prior to and after the dam was created in 1971, and they flooded to create the lake. Ted had tons of photos, now mostly gone. Roy still has the Polaroid he used to take them. Ted would take us kids camping and out on the boat. One point he took us over the old ghost town that was now underwater, and once under the Golden gate Bridge, where one of us had caught a stingray in the bay. Although not a very large one, maybe 1-2 FT long. He bought a house on the main road through La Grange, and set up office down further. He then had property out by the dam, which they placed a a double-wide trailer at.

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Ted was born September 24th, 1918 at Shawnigan Lake,

British Columbia

Ted was born September 24th, 1918 at Shawnigan Lake,

British Columbia

Others say he was born in Victoria. They are both on Vancouver Island BIRTHPLACE

LIFE ON THE FARM

As a good majority of Icelanders, Ted was no exception. His father Kay had farmed at two locations during the depression. The Shanty, which Roy now has 20-40 photos of, burned down, according to Hank. Most of the siblings went to the local school, yet did not attend College. While Roy's knowledge of this time is limited to what Nelson Gerrard has uncovered, he does know that they had a barn, and his father was a natural with machines. His brother Kjartan 'Lorne" given a great opportunity by his uncle, Ellis, to leave the farm in Canada to attend school down in San Francisco. Ellis and his wife picked up Lorne and the entire family was sobbing as they drove away. Later on, Kay's family moved to San Francisco with Kay joining later on. This will appear in a three volume book Nelson is working on. Gudrun taught her daughters to sing and told Eileen it was time to advance to a new teacher.

The whole family would sing. Ted would sing a song to his children on Sunday mornings as her made us breakfast. Recently Roy asked Hank about the song. Hank broke out singing the whole song from their days at school.

Basically it went "Good Morning to You...We are all in our places with bright sunshine faces, Good Morning to you... Yes, Roy hears the tune yet has forgotten the words.

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 Theodore 'Ted' Evan Christopherson

son of Kjartan and Gudrun ´Rooney´STONESON Christopherson

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Ted's Declaration to Immigrate from CA to US

married Pauline EINARSON

SIBLINGS:

1. Lilja Beatrice CHRISTOPHERSON Costello

2. Kjartan Lorne Christopherson

3. Theodore Evan Christopherson

4. Caroline Ingibjorg CHRISTOPHERSON Clarke

5. Sigurdur ‘Sig’ Thorsteinn Christopherson

6. Henry Christopherson

7. Eileen Emily CHRISTOPHERSON ‘Christie’ Keller

8. Dorothy ‘Dottie’ Guðrún CHRISTOPHERSON Cartwright

9. William ‘Bill’ Halldor Christopherson

CHILDREN:

1. Living Christopherson

2. Ronald Christopherson

3. Living Gillman

4. Roy Einar Christopherson webmaster

M2. Olivia H Milz m. 27 Aug 1976, Reno, NV

1. ____

Also see

Ted's Armed Airforce Page

Christopherson Clan Page

Photos of

Theodore Evan Christopherson

Theodore Evan Christopherson, Age 17?

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IMG_0112

Christopherson Family

Courtesy of the C.I.O.H. Book

MILITARY SERVICE

The following is on his tour of duty in WWII. Ted never spoke about his time serving, except for one story when his pilot used to a smaller cargo transport plane was landing a larger plane. He underestimated the landing. This caused an abrupt jolt hitting the Tarmac causing Ted to slam to the floor and receiving a gash to his knee or leg. It was not until recently that many photos and Ted's service record has been scanned by Roy

Ted in the Armed Air Forces

Visit Ted's military service page

JUL 4, 1937 Ted & Lorne mail postcard with Reno sign from Meeks Bay, CA to their father. Had 8FT wave they went swimming in. Ref. IMG-SCAN806/807.

BROADMOOR VILLAGE

Ted, Pauline, and their first 3 of 4 children; Robert, Ronald and Carol, lived at 1660 Sweetwood, Colma, Calif. View location at Google Maps.

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                                                                                                                                                                                                          1660 Sweetwood, Colma, Calif.

Roy has dozens and dozens of photos of the construction of their 1st house.

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...your Mom and Dads house on Sweetwood Drive, in Broadmoor. We lived right across the street from your family at 1687 Sweetwood Dr. and Aunt Abella, Uncle Lorne & [Living Christopherson] lived on the same street just two blocks away.

L.M.

The Red 'A' marks 1687, across the street on two adjoining streets is 1660.

Read more about Broadmoor here

Partial Google Book: Broadmoor Village By Dave Crimmen

It was developed by The Stoneson Brothers, Ted's uncles.

Ted joined Christopherson & Sons Realty after discharge. Ted worked Realty with his brothers, at one time all five brothers and Kay worked there, according to Hank. Ted was Chairman, Appraisal Committee during 1965 which Roy has the plaque given to him and photo of Ted speaking. Henry 'Hank' Christopherson and Ted remained at Christopherson & Sons Realty started by their father, Kjartan 'Kay', son of Sigurdur, who was in realty in Vancouver with his brother John, selling Crescent properties to farmers, for properties in the Argyle Dist., Manitoba, Canada. May was their secretary the entire time. She was a great lady. Ted's eldest brother, Kjartan Lorne became an Architect in L.A.. Sigurdur brought Hank potential deals and they completed a housing development together in Pacific Manor (see Hank's page). Unsure how long William 'Bill' Christopherson worked at the Realty office. Bill while at the office did offer to take Ted to the hospital a week prior to his passing near La Grange, CA, yet Ted would not go after complaining of upper chest pains.

The office used to be on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, called Christopherson & Sons. Henry's son Gary, continued the tradition working with Hank, and recently moved out due to San Francisco raising taxes. Just as many businesses have left California for Texas. Hank still is working with Arnie which does the remodeling of houses. Gary has done quality cabinet making, manages properties and avid pilot.

CHRISTOPHERSON & SONS REALTY

"Ted held a realty license in San Francisco and bought property in Redwood city to fix up. May have worked for ARC Electric as Electrician, least that is what Roy´s mother wanted. Update: According to his brother, Henry, both Henry and Ted worked for ARC. They even had an old Model T delivery truck. They both decided to go into realty.

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Est. 1950's - photo taken about 2010                                                    NOW (about 2011)

FERNWOOD - 1957

About 1957 they moved to a new tract done by Henry & Ellis Stoneson (Ted's uncles), built on a rock quarry, called The Meadows, in Millbrae, Calif, USA. Probably due to Roy being born, a larger house was needed. They would have known about Roy around June of 1957.

Ted separated from Pauline when Roy was around eight or ten yrs old. Ted started selling property for Lake Camanche, and then Lake Don Pedro. Ted had a house on main street in La Grange, Calif., then opened office down the street (city about size of Glenboro), which Roy and Carol stayed overnight, Roy received 11 stitches on eyelid due to knocking over a folding chair in his sleep. Ted took his kids out on his boat, on the lake a few times, and even under the Golden Gate Bridge. Thinking back he probably realized his lack of time with us kids and wanted to make it up, or mom just wanted a break from us. Ed Keith was kind enough to have Roy stay out at the Bar 49 Ranch during a couple summers, along with his siblings. Ted would have Roy stay at both recreation/office locations, in the bunk house. Ted took Roy out to dinner in a very back woods area, of course, Ted knew every tree and rock. Somewhere near La Grange. There was some family supposedly at a family restaurant, who he was told were Christophersons. They served country dinners, and Roy played the drums perhaps when the band took a break.

Ted and Pauline divorced, then Ted remarried to Olivia for a few years, and he set a double-wide trailer on a corner lot going into the lake, near the damn. Pauline kept the house and us kids. Later, in his last few years, his son Roy stayed with him during a couple summers.

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A quote from Ted's brother, Hank Christopherson:

"You could take the boy off of the farm (country), but you cannot take the farm out of the boy".

After Roy talked with Hank around 2009, the lure of selling lakeside property at Lake Comanche, then Lake Don Pedro in the La Grange area made more sense. Ted liked to wear cowboy boots, and roam (survey) the hillside properties there. He came across quite a few rattlesnakes. Roy still has one of those unfortunate enough to cross 'his' path, which is now a rattler in a small glass container. Ted was raised north of Baldur, but his birth certificate states Shawnessy Lake in British Columbia, Canada. He would take prospective buyers out to show lake front properties at Lake Don Pedro. Pauline was correct, in that, neither of these communities has done that well. From our viewpoint, mainly due to the heat and sparseness of trees. Manitoba was mostly prairie where they lived, and few trees. Ted joined Lake Don Pedro before the damn went in, and lake was created. While Ted always owned a camera, only a handful of photos are with the family of his time in those locations. Hank told the story to Roy of how Ted passed away. He and his brothers, Sig and Bill also informed the family the night Ted passed. While Ted left the family business, he remained close to Hank, stopping by the office when possible. Bill was one of the last to see him at the Ocean Ave office, offering to take him to the doctor to check out a chest pain and issue with his arms. Ted was digging out a retaining wall at some property. Ted said it was not necessary.

"You could take the boy off the farm,

but you cannot take the farm out of the boy"

Hank Christopherson

A quote which I hope will live on for Roy's nephews to understand.

IMG_SCAN_2494

Photo of Ted Christopherson and a team of horses. He even milked cows.

Hank identified these horse as that being on the farm at Grund. He thought they may have belonged to someone else when photo taken. He called them Queenie or Queen...must locate his quote. The 1st horse in 2494 is possibly here, 1st or 5th from left

IMG_5935_SCAN

Ted Christopherson possibly speaking at elections for Appraisal Committee Chairman, which he became in 1965 for the MLS Multiple Listing Service in San Francisco

Ted passed away in 1979 at a country store. He had a heart attack and died on way to the hospital. He smoked up until around age 50, and had been in the hospital for previous attacks. His oldest sister Lil passed away from heart attack, along with his siblings. His son Roy was lucky to survive a Widow Maker (left ventricle), hence the start of this website in 2005..

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Wedding of Alvin Christopherson and Edith Ireland

L-R: Theodore Christopherson, Al Christopherson, Edith Ireland, and probably Caroline, Ted's sister, Al's cousin.

Courtesy of Mike Christopherson and Edith IRELAND Christopherson

[1] Roy Christopherson ( ) denotes corrections.

text mostly from Roy or Hank Christopherson's memories of Ted.

If Family, view Ted's Military Slideshow after obtaining password from Roy (see E-Mail Contact Form above), unless you already have password.

[1] source

[2] isberg_Kanaski tree

[3] 1891 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com, 1891 Census of Canada (Provo, UT, USA,

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008), www.ancestry.com, Database online. Record for Lillie Christopherson.

[4] http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/View.jsp?id=63124&highlight=2&desc=1901+Census+of+Canada+page+containing+Caroline+Christopherson

1901 Census of Canada, Database Online, Record for Lylia S. Christopherson

[5] Come into our Heritage, p338, p1

Olivia H Milz-Christopherson, Residence 1992 La Grange

Visit Ted´s Army Air Corps Page here