Bob Christensen, 51, of New Ulm, formerly of Sleepy Eye, founder and CEO of Christensen Farms, died November 3rd of an apparent heart attack while hunting with his son and friends in Missouri.
Christensen Farms, Sleepy Eye, Minn., started as a small family operation in 1974. Today, it is one of the United States’ largest producers of pork, with operations in six states. The pork production enterprise includes feed-production facilities. Christensen also was instrumental in developing Triumph Foods’ hog packing and processing business.
Visitation will be held at Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – North Chapel in New Ulm, Minnesota from 3:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 7. Visitation will continue from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 8, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Bob will be laid to rest at the Prairieville Cemetery on Friday, November 9th at 10:00a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions in support of scholarships for agricultural education or other character building youth programs as selected by the family. Financial gifts should be addressed to: The Robert A. Christensen Memorial Fund, Attention: MaryAnn Christensen at P. O. Box 3000, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085.
In his work life, evidence of Bob’s imagination, intuitive business sense, and hard work are apparent. Bob built a pork production company that is, today, one of the largest family owned livestock production operations in the world. Bob’s company, Christensen Farms, employs over a thousand people across the Midwest. The Christensen Farms herd is the backbone of farming operations of hundreds of independent contract producers in Iowa and Minnesota. The professional staff that Bob has assembled continues to advance the Company’s goal of producing the highest quality product at the lowest possible price for consumers both in the United States and abroad.
Bob is survived by his loving wife Mary Ann Martin Christensen, his son Robert Alan Christensen, Jr. (Cubby), and his daughter Kellen Camille Christensen.