Andrew Lewis Christian

A. L. Christian, 80-Year Resident of County, Dies

Andrew L. Christian, 91, member of a Niobrara County pioneer ranch family, died Monday afternoon about 4:00 at Ponderosa Villa in Crawford where he has been a resident for the past year.

Funeral service will be held at the Peet Mortuary at 10:00 this Thursday morning, and burial will be in the Lusk Cemetery.

Mr. Christian was born July 26, 1882, in Carol County, Iowa, the son of Cris L. and Sara Emma Christian and was one of a family of thirteen. When Andrew was eight years old, in 1890, the family moved to the Pleasant Ridge area of Niobrara County to homestead and eventually established a considerable farming and ranching property.

Before his father's death in 1934, Andrew traveled around the western states working at a variety of jobs and owned a pool hall with Ted Lohr in Lusk in the late 30's and early 40's. Upon receiving his land inheritance when his father died, he went into the ranching business until retiring at the age of 85. He lived in Lusk, at first with his sister Amy who owned the old family home here. When she died in 1944, the property was purchased by the Gerald Bardo family, and Mr. Christian continued to live in a small apartment of the old home until he moved to Ponderosa Villa.

He is survived by a son Robert of Santa Barbara, Calif.; one brother Ray, also of Ponderosa Villa; one sister, Mrs. Freda Eshelman, Whittier, Calif.; four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

The Lusk Herald
March 14, 1974
Andrew Christian Funeral Service Last Thursday

Funeral service for Andrew Christian was held March 7 at 10:00 a.m. at the Peet Mortuary.

The Rev. Larry Shrout, Methodist minister of Harrison, conducted the service with Mrs. Gerald Bardo, organist. Miss Diana Rutz sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In the Garden."

Casket bearers were Ted Lohr, Gerald Bardo, John Hammond, Robert Fancher, Rex Shoults and Bob Phipps. Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery.

Here for the funeral were his son Robert from Santa Barbara, Calif; his brother Ray now residing at Ponderosa, Villa Nursing Home at Crawford; and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews, and their spouses including: Oliver Reynolds, Chadron; Mr. and Mrs. Dan Christian and sons, Laramie; Mr. and Mrs. Andy Hansen, Newcastle; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Fisher, Hot Springs, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. Julian Phipps, Van Tassell; Mr. and Mrs. Bob Phipps, Harrison; Mr. and Mrs. Rex Shoults, Van Tassell; Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Bernbeck, Torrington.

The circle of the Lusk Congregational Church served a dinner at noon for the members of the family and families of the casket bearers at the Gerald Bardo residence which is the old Christian home.

Mr. Christian's son requests that memorials be made to the Niobrara Nursing Home Fund and may be sent to Stockmans National Bank or Lusk State Bank.

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