Lilly Abernathy

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 29, 2009

Lilly (Christensen) Abernathy, age 92, formerly of Albert Lea, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, at the home of her daughter Mardell Motsenbocker in Apopka, Florida. She was surrounded by family and lots of love.
Lilly was born Oct. 5, 1916, in Albert Lea Township to Axel and Marie (Bonnerup) hristensen. Lilly was very active in Freeborn County 4-H and the Albert Lea Seventh-day-Adventist Church. She moved to California in 1957 and while there worked as a Quality Assurance Inspector for a medical electronics firm.
After retirement she moved to central Florida in 1978 and was very active in many groups and organizations such as AARP and the Apopka Senior Center.
She was preceded in death by her three sisters: Elsie Christensen of Albert Lea, Margaret (Christensen) Nelsen of Alaska, Alma (Christensen) Hartman of Albert Lea; two brothers, Ernie Christensen and Earl Christensen both of Albert Lea; her daughter, Virginia “Gini” and her granddaughter Kimberly Thulin of Las Vegas. Abernathy is survived by her daughter, Mardell and her husband Jim Crosby of Apopka, Fla.; daughter, Kathleen Abernathy and her husband Ronald Levinsohn of Glendale, Ariz.; brother Clifford (and Marion) Christensen of Las Vegas, Nev.; three grand children, Gregory (and Maria) Thulin, Paula (Thulin) Frost and Allan (and Carol) Thulin of Las Vegas, Nev.; four great-grandchildren: Kaycie Tuller of Maryland, Heather (Thulin) Cornell, Nicolas Thulin and Melissa (Thulin) Gross of Las Vegas, Nev.; three great-great- grandchildren: Aubrie Thulin, Alexander Thulin and Sofia Gross, Las Vegas, Nev. She is also survived by several loving nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
She was blessed to be able to live on her own and was driving friends about only weeks before her health began to fail. “Miss Lilly” is known by all who love her, or have met her, to be a very strong willed, independent and fiercely spirited woman with great energy and unstoppable determination. She was passionate about natural health care and politics and few could match her unstoppable zest in & for life. A viewing will be held 2 p.m. Sept. 1, 2009, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea with services at 3 p.m. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Bonnerup Funeral Service is assisting the family with arrangements.