Lyle Martin Christen, died June 24, 2024. He was born August 16, 1944, in Postville, to Elmer and Gertrude Christen. He was raised in Clayton County, IA, with siblings Linda Sharp, Mark and Edwin Christen and graduated from Garnavillo High School in 1963. As a child he helped his father and brothers with farming, and building various homes in Clayton County that are still in fine condition.
After graduation Lyle worked in different jobs including construction, for a mink farm, and for a cattle farmer, before he ended up working for various lumber/construction companies such as Meuser Lumber in Garnavillo, and Wickes which became UBC in Dubuque. In the 1980s, Lyle obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting, at the University of Dubuque, and became an assistant manager, then manager for Wickes Lumber and UBC.
In 1966, Lyle met his wife Kyong, (aka Songhe), when was drafted by the Army during the Vietnam War, but stationed at the US camp by the DMZ in South Korea. While stationed there, he went to Seoul, Korea to sight-see. Lyle came upon a Tae Kwon Do demonstration and there he saw a five foot tall, 90 lb. woman breaking bricks with her bare hands and went to meet her. Songhe was a 2nd-degree black belt Tae Kwon Do instructor. Lyle dated Songhe (accompanied by a chaperon) while he served out his term of service and returned to the USA. Lyle then wrote back to Songhe and proposed marriage (Songhe had the letter translated). He returned to Seoul Korea, and they were married at the American Consulate on 8 September 1967. The marriage started in Colesburg, IA where Lyle was farming on rented land before getting a job at Meuser’s Lumber. Their marriage of almost 57 years started with Songhe not speaking a lot of English. They passed back and forth, an English-Korean phrase book to conduct arguments by pointing to, (probably stabbing at), the appropriate phrases for their own point of view. Lyle arranged for the Seminary in Epworth, IA to teach Songhe English (his daughter sometimes wonders if he regrets that).
They welcomed their son Kent, in 1970 and daughter Amy in 1975 and lived in Garnavillo, IA in a two-bedroom home. In 1977, his mother-in-law, Chong Kim, immigrated to the US with his sister-in-law, her husband and their four children. They all lived together until the sister-in-law’s family relocated to Dubuque, but his mother-in-law became part of his household (think Walton’s with a little bit of Archie Bunker). Until Chong passed away in 2011, she told all of her other granddaughters to find a husband like Lyle. Chong never learned English.
Kent became a commissioned officer in the US Air Force in1992. After 20 years, he retired from US Air Force as a twice decorated officer, Bronze Star, with oak leaf cluster. Kent now works for the Cedar Rapids Police Department to catch really bad guys. Kent married Amy Louis (nee Porod), and they gave Lyle and Songhe two grandsons, Phelan (23) and Gabriel (20).
His daughter Amy became an attorney in 2007. Lyle would tell inquiring people, “his daughter went to law school to be a “persecutor”, but now she is a “public Offender.” Amy works as a State public defender to free the wrongfully accused, first in Mason City office, then Davenport, and now in Burlington since 2018. (Imagine what Lyle had to deal with when his children were kids).
When Lyle retired from UBC in 2007 he, Songhe, and Chong moved in with his daughter, Amy when she transferred to Davenport in 2010. In his retirement, Lyle enjoyed time with his visiting grandchildren, improving his daughter’s home, and even stepped in as an investigator and testifying witness for his daughter during a criminal trial when she got ‘last second evidence’. (He was the only witness NOT cross-examined, and the jury acquitted his daughter’s client).
Most people think Lyle is a quiet, mild-mannered man, but he did have a steel under core of strength that would not put up with bad behavior to the point that he was not afraid to kick a prized bull that was trying to headbutt or bite him (he was fired for that) or put a literal, and righteous, foot/boot to the rear of his two children and one of his grandsons (the other denies getting one). Lyle also had a sense of humor and appreciation for facetiousness. He gave his daughter his sense of humor.
On 24 June 2024, Lyle passed away from Cancer, at home, with his wife and two children present. Dad-- Thank you for all you have done for us, and I hope we made you feel loved and proud. We will miss you always.