Agnes Elizabeth Christensen Balda Bos died June 28, 2023 in Oak Harbor, Washington. She had reached 95 years, carrying on the tradition of her father Bernard, who made it to the millennium at 98 in 2000 before passing.
Agnes, known to most as “Aggie”, was born in Cole Harbor, North Dakota on October 20, 1927, the first child of Verna (Winters) and Bernard Christensen. Agnes migrated to Whidbey Island around 1935, riding in the back of a pick-up with the family cow and never forgave her sister Florence, who was only two and got to ride in front with Mom and Dad. Graduating with the Oak Harbor High School class of 1946 she wasted little time in picking the best of the local gentry, Harry Balda, and married him on March 4, 1947. They set up shop on Fakkema Road and Wes (1948), Shelley (1951), and Sherri Lee (1955) soon joined the family. Harry farmed, raised turkeys and strawberries, and milked cows while Aggie hauled coffee and cookies down to the farm hands haying in the field, played with her kids at Cranberry Lake and Oak Harbor City Beach, and built a thriving family life.
In 1991 Harry died, and twelve years later she reunited with an old high-school friend, Glenn Bos, and married him in 2003. Glenn died of cancer three years later, but for most of those three years they had a ball.
She loved Whidbey Island and the extended family on the Island. The Christensen cousins were a large and closely-knit gang, and cared for each other through the years. When one was in need, the others were there – as Aggie followed Glenn’s casket to the front of the church, the cousins gathered around her and walked up the aisle together. Her cousin Roger Christensen was her friend to the end and so was long-time neighbor Les Robbins.
Aggie was a life-long member of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church, largely founded by her father, grandfather, and uncles.
Aggie is survived by Wes (Janis Bragan), children Dan, Joanna, Sam and Erica, Shelley, children Nathan, Erin and Lindsey, and Sherri (Scott Rossmiller) child Christie, plus numerous great and great- great grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be at Oak Harbor Lutheran Church on Saturday, September 9, at 10:00am.
