Michael Duane Christensen

Michael Duane Christensen, born March 21, 1947, was called to heaven on May 21, 2026, at the age of 79. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, uncle, brother, cousin & friend. He was lovingly known as Mickey by the Christensen family & Mike by the Mistelske family.

Michael grew up in Spring Lake Park & was a gymnast in high school before graduating from Spring Lake Park High School in 1965. That same year, the tornado of 1965 destroyed his high school, so his class was unable to hold graduation there. Shortly after graduation, he entered the Air Force. Serving from 1966 to 1970, as a Communications Specialist, a Civil Engineering & Construction Equipment Operator & a Staff Sergent Security Police, where he guarded missiles & carried out his duties with dedication & pride. He was at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, TX for bootcamp & training, then Vandenberg Air Force Base in CA for his military career. He was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during the Cold War & Vietnam War. As a Senior Airman, he served with a highly decorated unit of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). He was a Sergeant E-4 (3 stripes/chevrons) & his military honors included the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal & the National Defense Service Medal

Michael & Jeanette Justine Christensen (Mistelske) met on a blind date & it was love at first sight. The two were married on November 23, 1968, at Christ Lutheran Church in Blaine, MN. They spent their short honeymoon with some of their siblings in Taylors Falls, MN, just before driving out to begin their life together in California in a 1959 Chevy Bel Air. While Michael was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, they began their married life far from home, learning together, making new memories & building the foundation of their life as husband & wife. Their time in CA became an important early chapter before they returned to MN in 1970 & continued a relationship rooted in love, resilience & commitment. After returning to MN, they lived in Winsted, Excelsior, Brooklyn Park & Coon Rapids MN before they headed to Austin, TX. They headed to Tx in 1996 where their residence exists today, since they enjoyed the winters better in TX than in MN.

He was a devoted husband to Jeanette & a devoted father to his daughter, Shelly Byers. As a husband, he worked hard to provide for his family & made sure Jeanette could be a stay-at-home mom, giving their family what they needed while also making room to enjoy holidays & celebrations together. He also wrote sweet love notes to Jeanette, small reminders of the love they shared. As a dad, he taught Shelly to be resourceful capable, showing her how to change engine oil, install car radios & speakers, use Bondo on cars, fix things & figure things out. He always made birthday parties fun with all the neighborhood kids. As a grandpa, he enjoyed doing magic tricks with his granddaughters, joking around, coloring & so much more. He was also a proud grandfather whose love for his family was steady, generous & deeply felt.

Michael studied at Dunwoody College of Technology in MN, focusing on becoming a machinist. He went on to become a skilled machinist who worked at McQuay machining refrigeration units; AVI; & 3M developing & machining medical devices & IV pumps. He received several awards at work for his excellence in product development & innovation in design. In 1996, he was transferred from 3M in Minnesota to 3M in Austin, Texas, where he continued his work. In Texas, he formed a good group of friends, many of whom had also transplanted from other states to work at 3M in Austin. In 1999, he injured his back while working at 3M, which hindered him from continuing to work. Over the years, he underwent several back & neck surgeries, but he always kept going & tried to overcome any pain. He was a true fix-it-yourself kind of guy who could pretty much fix anything. He especially enjoyed grandfather clocks & old traditional clocks, as well as fixing them & bringing them back to life. He also whittled wood chunks into amazing creations, many of them made as loving gestures for Jeanette. He loved a good cactus plant & many flowered, some were 10 feet high; a fitting part of the Texas home he & Jeanette built together. He enjoyed fixing things & selling them on Craigslist, always loved a good deal & was known for being thrifty in the best way. He also liked collecting, selling & trading guns, knives, military shells & airplane propellers.

He was known for telling jokes & bringing laughter wherever he went. He also loved playing his guitars, not by notes on sheet music but by ear, singing classic country songs by artists like Johnny Cash & Elvis & sharing his voice at many weddings & funerals, bringing joy, comfort & spirit to those special moments.

Michael loved to fish, camp, take pictures, barbecue & host big birthday celebrations. He was especially known for his smoked brisket. His first vehicle was a Cushman scooter, followed by a motorcycle, beginning a lifelong appreciation for anything with wheels & an engine. He went on to own many Harley-Davidson motorcycles throughout his lifetime, enjoying the rumble of the engine & the shine of polished chrome. He even disassembled one & packed it into boxes at the Air Force base so it could be shipped from TX to the CA Air Force base. He had a way of bringing people together & any gathering was better when he was there.

Michael is lovingly remembered by his wife of 57 years, Jeanette; his daughter, Shelly Byers (Paul); his granddaughters, Makensie Byers (Tomaye) & Sophia Byers; his brothers, Terry Christensen (Jeanne) & Todd Christensen; his Mistelske family in-laws, Patsy Sunderland (Warren), Dolores Trombley, Johnny Mistelske (Caroline) & David Mistelske; & his many nieces & nephews; cousins & family. As a big brother, he was tough, caring & protective, always looking out for his brothers & protecting them from bullies. He will be remembered for his service, his devotion to family, his humor, his music & the many ways he touched the lives of those who knew & loved him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Pearl (Rogers) & Bernard “Chris” Christensen; mother & father-in-law Anna (Walzak) & Clifford Mistelske; Mistelske family in-laws, Sonny (Laura) Mistelske, Charlie Mistelske, Kathleen Amborn, Thomas Mistelske, Betty Brenny, Barb Walters, Jerry Mistelske & Tammy Olson.

Celebration of Life in Texas: Leander VFW at 8760 Ranch Road 2243 (RR 2243 / FM 2243), Leander, TX 78641; July 23, 2026; 4:30–7:30 p.m.

Military Interment: Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55450; August 3, 2026; 12:30 p.m. with Air Force honor guard.

Celebration of Life in Minnesota: Miller Funeral Home in Fridley; August 6, 2026; visitation 1:00-2:00, service 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Celebration of Life informal luncheon: Blainbrook Entertainment Center in the ‘parlor bar’ at 12000 Central Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55434; August 6, 2026; after 3:30 p.m.