Norman Lee (Norm) Christensen (81) of Bridgeport passed away peacefully on August 18, 2024, at Chimney Rock Nursing Home in Bayard, NE. Visitation will be held at Bridgeport Memorial Chapel on Thursday, August 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. A rosary will be held on Friday, August 23, at 10:00 a.m. at All Souls Catholic Church, and a Mass of Christian burial will immediately follow at 10:30. Interment will be held at Lyons Cemetery in Lyons, NE.
Norm was born to Paul and Hazel Christensen in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 8, 1943. The family later moved to Lyons, Nebraska, where Norm grew up working at the family redi-mix plant and lumber yard. Never one to shy away from excitement and adventure, Norm’s first time being pulled over by law enforcement was while driving a semi through Kansas at the age of 12. He was returning from Texas with a new drag line for the redi-mix plant while his father caught up on his sleep in the passenger seat. Paul assured the officer that Norm was as good a driver as he, and the two were sent on their way. When the dragline failed to operate as advertised, the Texas plant sent a mechanic up to fix the equipment, but instead, he found 12year old Norm running the dragline, having figured out how to rethread the pulley system himself. The mechanic subsequently offered Norm his pay.
Later when the redi-mix plant won the contract to construct the footings of the Decatur toll bridge, multiple trucks were dispatched from Lyons to Decatur, but none of the operators were willing to risk backing the large trucks out over the planks to the opposite side of the river. Not surprisingly, the now 14 year old Norm agreed to back the trucks across the planks spanning the river while the other drivers kept the mud coming from the Lyons plant.
After a high school career of football, basketball, track and a few night time pranks (including carrying the principal’s VW Beetle up the three flights of stairs of the high school only to be found the next morning in the center of the school library), Norm began his education at the University of Nebraska where he made extra money as a tutor. He eventually completed his mortuary science degree at the University of Minnesota. While in Minnesota, he met and married Rosella (`Zell) Aubert and moved to Kearney where he worked in a local funeral home. The couple then moved to Bridgeport, Nebraska, where he purchased the local funeral home. In February of 1971, Norm and `Zell added to their family with the birth of their son, Mike, and three years later, they welcomed their daughter, Joey. While raising a family, Norm opened two additional funeral homes in Bayard and Dalton, operating all three businesses for many years.
A serial entrepreneur, Norm started other successful business endeavors including Norm’s TV
Repair, Heritage Homes, Christensen Construction Company, the Oasis Restaurant, Blackout and Sandbox video arcades, and later on, he worked for Jacobs Corp as a salesman of feed mill pellet dies in the midwest. He also worked for ACE Rent to Own as an inventory control manager throughout eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. After retirement, he moved back to Bridgeport.
Norm was a talented musician, playing piano, guitar, and the trombone, as well as singing in the local cantata. He loved travel, the Huskers, and having coffee at the Trading Post in the morning to catch up on the local news. He was a member of All Souls Catholic Church, and he served as Worshipful Master at Camp Clarke Masonic Lodge #285. Norm also holds the distinction of being the longest running consecutive mayor in the history of the State of Nebraska having served the community of Bridgeport for years. He was a loving father, grandfather, and friend.
Norm is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Hazel Christensen; his sister, Peg Landham; and his nephew, Christopher Geck. He is survived by his children, son Mike (Joan) Christensen of Carroll, IA; daughter Joey (Leland) Dohse of Bridgeport, NE; and grandchildren Bodhi and Emma Dohse and Sophie, Ruth, Martha, and George Christensen; siblings Terri (John) Geck, Ree (Robert) Benson, Marlin (Yon) Christensen, and special friend Karlene Johnson.
A memorial will be determined by the family at a later time. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.bridgeportmemorialchapel.com.