lit a candle 6d agoMy mom called me this morning to tell me. I didn't know her well, just through church stuff growing up in Galesburg, but she always asked about my job out here and actually remembered the answer. 68 is no age at all.
Their story
Gail Ann Christensen was not a public figure in the conventional sense of politics, entertainment, or business. She was a private citizen of Galesburg, Illinois, whose death became known through a funeral home notice rather than through the national press, and this page exists to record her life accurately and…
Gail Ann Christensen was not a public figure in the conventional sense of politics, entertainment, or business. She was a private citizen of Galesburg, Illinois, whose death became known through a funeral home notice rather than through the national press, and this page exists to record her life accurately and respectfully for the people who knew her and for anyone who searches her name.
Gail was born on June 24, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Edward Joseph Zander and Mary Lou (Bushbaum) Zander. She was raised in the northwest Chicago suburbs and graduated from Sacred Heart of Mary High School in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. As an adult she worked for many years as a decorator for J.C. Penney in the Chicago area, a role in which, according to her obituary, she put the same care into her professional work that she brought to her home and family life.
On September 30, 1995, she married Robert J. Christensen in West Dundee, Illinois. The couple made their home for years in Sleepy Hollow, Illinois, before relocating later in life to Galesburg to be closer to their daughter, Madeline. Family and friends who contributed to her obituary described a woman who put others first, who threw elaborate birthday parties for her daughter, framed photographs for the people she loved, and delighted in holidays, especially Christmas. She was known for tending her flower gardens, boating, spending time at the family's house at Lake Bracken, and attending concerts as an avid music lover.
Gail Ann Christensen died unexpectedly at her home in Galesburg, Illinois, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the age of 68. No cause of death has been made public. Her death was announced through an obituary placed with Watson-Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory in Galesburg and carried by Legacy.com.
She is survived by her husband, Robert, her daughter Madeline (Morgan Shaw) Wood of Galesburg, her grandson Carter Shaw, her brother Craig Zander of Wilmington, North Carolina, her sister Beth O'Neill of Volo, Illinois, four nieces, and her dog, Sadie. She was preceded in death by her parents. The tributes that have circulated so far come from family and from the Galesburg community where she had settled in retirement, remembering her as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother whose attention to the small details of life touched everyone around her.
Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by Legacy | Obituary.
Same, my mom texted me too. She was always so kind at the holiday bazaar.