Katie Christensen

Kaitlyn (Katie) Millsap Christensen, loving mother, teacher, and wife, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026 at the age of 68, from Alzheimer's disease.

Katie was born January 11, 1958 in Oregon City, Oregon to Keith Millsap and Doreen Palm, the second of four children. Most of Katie’s childhood was spent in southern California, but her happiest moments were the visits to see her Grandma Glory and Aunt Pat in the San Francisco Bay area. From them, Katie learned how to be strong and independent, and saw in them what kind of mother she wanted to be later on.

In 1980, Katie served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Afterwards, Katie made the life-changing decision to move to Salt Lake City, Utah. She met Royd Waters while working as a security guard at the University of Utah, and they married in 1982. Over the next 6 years, they welcomed four children. At the age of 32, Katie found herself a single mother and, in spite of this, decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree; she graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Southern Utah University with a GPA of 3.65, on the Dean’s List, and having received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student of the Year Award.

Following graduation, Katie received an offer to teach in the small town of Aberdeen, Idaho. She taught at Aberdeen Elementary for a total of 9 years, then moved to Utah, where she eventually settled in Saratoga Springs and taught for the Alpine School District for 10 years. Katie was a teacher for a total of 24 years (not counting the summer schools and after-school tutoring), taught over 500 students, and provided thousands of gummy worms. She taught her students to memorize her favorite speeches and poems, including The Gettysburg Address (Abraham Lincoln), Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Robert Frost), and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Clement Clarke Moore). She gave her heart and soul to her work and her students, saying that she was most herself when she was teaching.

Beyond teaching, Katie loved spending her time with her pets, reading books, collecting antiques, pulling weeds, and doing counted cross stitch. She truly loved books, and taught that love to her children by always reading aloud – whether it be Shel Silverstein, Laura Ingalls Wilder, or Robert Louis Stevenson. She taught us how to show love with baked goods, such as apple pie and poppy seed bread. She loved old musicals, especially those with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. She had a passion for early American History and historical figures; one of her favorite experiences was the trip she took with her daughter Emily “back east,” visiting sites such as the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Gettysburg Cemetery, Independence Hall, and the Statue of Liberty. She dreamed of someday visiting Illinois, where her parents were from, and Missouri, to see the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum.

In 2013, Katie married the love of her life, Jim Christensen, and was adopted into his family. In 2018, Jim and Katie were sealed in the Ogden, Utah Temple.

Katie was preceded in death by her beloved grandmother and aunt, Glory Carlberg and Patricia Palm; her parents, Keith Millsap and Doreen Palm; her sister, Karen Millsap Hay; and her stepdaughter, Frances Hill.
She is survived by her son, her daughters – Emily, Sara, and Angela – and their families; by her husband, James Christensen; and by Jim’s children – Dawnette, Laura, Ted, Andy, and Mark – and their families.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your county's Education Foundation, or you may bring a backpack filled with school supplies to be donated in Katie’s memory to Layton’s Lincoln Elementary to benefit under-privileged students.

Services will take place on Monday, August 31 at Myers Mortuary, located at 845 Washington Boulevard, Ogden:
A private visitation for family members at 9:30 a.m.
An open visitation for family and friends from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Interment at the Ogden City Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.

All services entrusted to Myers Mortuary of Ogden.