Adolph Marcus Christianson the Third was born in February of 1944. Known as Marc, he was the grandson of North Dakota Supreme Court Justice, A. M. Christianson, known as the Lincoln of North Dakota; and the son of A. M. Christianson the Second, an Army flight instructor who later founded the Bismarck Zoo.
Marc was raised on his family’s hobby farm among a multitude of exotic animals such as monkeys, alligators, wolves, boa constrictors and more. Once, when Marc tried to sneak into the house after curfew, he was pounced on by a mountain lion known as Richard the Lionheart. The farm was transformed by his father into a Nationally Accredited Zoo with more than 500 specimens.
Marc joined the army and had just graduated as an Officer from Ranger School when he met Betsy and asked her on a date. No, she said. Why?, asked Marc. Because you cuss, she said. Marc promised he’d change and they started dating. On this date in 1968, Betsy and Marc were married.
In August of 1968 Marc was sent to Vietnam and by October was wounded. After recuperating back in the states, he went back to Vietnam and served another tour. Betsy and Marc wrote each other every day he was overseas.
After his tours, Captain Marc Christianson was assigned to be an instructor at the Florida Ranger School, where he taught helicopter rappelling, hand to hand combat and, thanks to his experience at the family farm, even a reptile class!
Betsy taught elementary school in Okaloosa County. They lived happily there with Marc frequently visiting Betsy’s classroom with snakes and other reptiles. The children loved his visits.
On February 17, 1972, Marc was killed in a training accident, a tragedy that shattered the close nit Ranger community. Betsy lost the love of her life. She never remarried, but went on to get her doctorate in education and dedicated her life to teaching hundreds of the area’s brightest students in the district’s gifted program.
On March 16, 2017, Betsy Christianson was invited to a ceremony to name the new 6th Ranger Training Battalion’s headquarters in honor of Marc Christianson.
Dakota Datebook by Scott Nelson
Sources:
- Remembering a Fallen Ranger, NWF Daily News, March 16, 2017 / findagrave Memorial ID 58256383
