Brenda Christiansen

Brenda Christiansen, age 54, passed away from cancer on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, surrounded by family at home.  Brenda was born in Bountiful, Utah, on April 28, 1965, to Reed and Judy Christiansen.

Throughout school she was very involved with most sports.  At Bountiful Jr. she played volleyball and basketball in grades 8-9.  She was on the track team during grades 7-9.  She continued with volleyball, basketball and track at Bountiful High School and also played softball in her junior year.

Music was also high on her list.  She played piano and started to learn the string bass in 6th grade.  The love of music led to joining band and orchestra throughout school.  She was selected to be Drum Major in her senior year.  She participated in the Bountiful and Salt Lake pioneer parades.  Brenda also was a member of the Utah Youth Symphony for two years.

After attending Utah State University for two years, she returned to Bountiful and had a couple different jobs. In the summer of 1985, she traveled to Wyoming with a friend and purchased a colt on a whim and named her Sissy.  She boarded the horse at the top of 18th South in the hills of Bountiful.  She dutifully cared for and  loved that horse.  About that same time, she became interested in law enforcement and attended Law Enforcement Officer Training at Utah Technical College at Salt Lake.  She completed the 140 hours required on April 4, 1986.

On April 11, 1986, she was in a car accident and sustained a massive head injury and a spinal injury leaving her paralyzed from upper chest down.  After four and a half months in recovery, she was able to come home.  She had to relearn many everyday skills again.  One of the first things she did was learn to crochet.  She made hot pads, dish cloths, beautiful blankets, and darling baby booties delicately crocheted with fine yarn.  She also enjoyed making snowflake earrings and larger snowflakes for Christmas decorations.

Brenda loved winter and enjoyed watching the snow fall while looking East out her bedroom window.  She could also see the Bountiful Temple from her room. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and for the last seven years has been the chorister in Relief Society.

Brenda was all about having fun with family and friends and especially enjoyed playing games.  For years she would have “game day” with two or three friends joining her.  She was an avid Jazz fan and watched the games faithfully with her mother.  She also loved all-things Snoopy and stickers of any kind.  She even put stickers on her tithing envelopes.

She loved life and always showed it with a big smile.  She was a friend to everyone.

Brenda is survived by her father and mother, Reed and Judy Christiansen; three brothers, Mark, Paul and Brett; sister-in-law, Shey Lani; nieces, Alieta and Atyana and nephew, Bailey.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 11:00 am, at the Bountiful 18th Ward Chapel, 165 South 1000 East.  Friends and family may attend a viewing to be held Monday, May 20, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah.  There will be an additional viewing Tuesday morning at the church prior to the funeral service from 9:45 to 10:45 am.  Interment will be at Memorial Lakeview Cemetery. Online guestbook at www.russonmortuary.com