This Man Has a Road Named After His Family!

Roger Christensen's grandfather Christian "Cook" Christensen settled his family in Springdale in 1894. The extended family is still here! Roger was born in 1946 and grew up on Northway Road in Springdale. He is the youngest of four children, with two girls and two boys in the family. Roger attended Springdale School until the 5th grade and then came to Corbett to attend the now burned down Corbett Grade School. He attended Corbett High School from 9-12th grade, graduating in 1966. Roger was raised on a dairy farm and worked hard both before and after school doing farm chores. When Roger was in the 7th grade, he wrapped himself in a sheet and jumped out of the family's barn loft. He said he wanted to see if the sheet would act as a parachute. It did not work so well. He broke his left hip and was put into a full body cast for six months. Roger had to be homeschooled for two years! He also ended up with a permanent limp and was not able to play any sports. Roger chose to be a manager of the wrestling team and for three years in high school he supported and traveled with the team. Roger says he did not excel academically because he would rather be outdoors, fishing in the creek or playing. After high school graduation, Roger went to work for the US Forest Service as a Surveyor Aide. He lived at home for two years and then moved into an apartment with friends. Roger also took classes at Mt. Hood Community College. Roger met Fran Aquino in 1972 at a shop in Fairview that Roger visited for his job. They married and lived in Portland. A short time later, Roger injured his right hip while on the job. He had the hip replaced and now has two artificial hips! After this incident, Roger went back to school to earn his Associates Degree in Civil Engineering. He then began working with the Oregon State Highway Dept. as a Materials Inspector and was an employee for 25 years before retiring. Roger and Fran have four children. Josh, Brad, Becky, and Curtis. They were all raised in Corbett as Roger and Fran moved to Corbett in 1979, just before Curtis was born. They both wanted their children to be raised in the same small community where Roger grew up, giving them a rural upbringing. Instead of raising them on a dairy farm like Roger had been, they instead raised beef cows. They also leased out part of their land for raspberry crops. Roger retired in 2005 and now enjoys volunteering in the community as well as traveling. He and Fran have been to Jamacia, Hawaii, and Mexico. They have also taken their RV from Corbett to New York and back! Together they have two granddaughters and one grandson.