Mary Jane (Jackson) Christopherson

Mary Jane Christopherson, age 74, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at her home in rural Fountain, MN, after a year long battle with Melanoma cancer.

She was born July 22, 1943, in St. Louis, MO, to John and Alberta (Hogan) Jackson.  Mary Jane had developed a lifelong love of horses on her parents weekend farm in Missouri.  Her first horse was Dan, a Tennessee Walker - when in the mood.  She was a 1961 graduate of Southwest High School in St. Louis, MO.  She graduated from Northeast Missouri State University in 1965 with a B.S. in Chemistry while also being Vice President of the Panhellenic Council and Corresponding Secretary of Sigma Kappa.  She had originally enrolled in Physical Education but changed majors because it was too easy.  She graduated from Kansas State University in 1968 with a Masters in Chemistry; she was one of only two female students in the graduating class.  The other female student, Maria Paukstelis, went on to be her lifelong friend.

She moved to Minnesota in 1968 when she took a research position at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.   Her lifelong love of horses brought her to Chatfield in search of somewhere to board her horse.  One day, while visiting her horse, she did something that would alter the course of her life… she picked up a stray dog.  This stray dog belonged to Lee Christopherson.  Grateful to her, Lee took her to dinner to say thanks.  On April 22, 1975, Mary Jane and Lee tied the knot at Root Prairie Lutheran Church in Fountain, MN.  They welcomed a daughter, Katherine, on October 8, 1979.

In May 1985, Mary Jane took a teaching position at Chosen Valley High School.  This is where she found her professional passion and became known as Mrs. C.  Some of her greatest memories were of her “weasels” that she taught Physics, Chemistry, and Physical Science over a 22 year career.  She retired in 2007 to enjoy life with her husband on their farm.

She and Lee enjoyed the next 11 years together on their farm.  They placed portions of the farm into conservation programs and planted wildflowers along the waterways.  They cared for the wildlife and even rescued their beloved donkey, Dominick.

Mary Jane is survived by her husband, Lee Christopherson; daughter, Katherine Wilson (Christopherson), and son-in-law, Tyler Wilson; and a brother, Roland Jackson; sisters-in-law, Mary Katherine Jackson and Brenda Christopherson; nephews, Scott Jackson and Peter Griffin; nieces, Amie Griffin, Julie Nunez, Kristine Geier, and Jennifer Sclafani; grand-nephew, Benjamin Jackson; and grand-nieces, Amanda Jackson and Mabel Sclafani.