Jon M. Christenson

CA and Okinawa
  • Military specialty: Naval Security Group
  • Awards: Unknown

b. 7 Nov 1942.  Jon M. Christenson was born to Clifford and Eunice (Haseman) Christenson in Butterfield, MN. From 1953-1965, Jon lived in Cottonwood County.

Jon joined the U.S. Navy on 23 Feb 1961.  He first trained as a radioman at the Communications Training School in Pensacola, FL and then was sent for language training at the Presidio in Monterey, CA where he  learned Chinese, Mandarin dialect, and went to Okinawa where he was charged with decoding and interpreting enemy radio communications and carried a “Top Secret Crypto” security clearance. Later, he was recruited for courier duty.  In 1965, Jon went on inactive duty and was honorably discharged on 23 Feb 1967.

After his military service, Jon moved back to Windom, MN to live.  He then took a trip to Alaska and decided to take a job at a Ballistic Missile Defense Early Warning site  for two years before returning to MN for a college education and a teaching position at Brown College in Minneapolis. While in Minneapolis, he started a business in  manufacturing industrial video equipment. He later moved back to Windom where he started a second business called RC Hobbies (radio-control hobbies). He retired in 2011.

On 24 May 1985, he married Mary Deason.

After retirement, Jon used his talents in electronics to build his home and electoral power system by employing wind and solar power so that he could live off the grid. He converted his heating and air conditioning system to geo-thermal. He does not use any farm chemicals on his acreage so that his home is eco-friendly in employing carbon sequestration for the sake of ecology and wildlife.

  • Obituary: None on file