Christa Ruth Krisch Rowe

Our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away peacefully into the arms of her forever sweetheart, Larry Rowe, in Layton, Utah on April 27, 2026.

Christa was born in Selbongen, East Prussia on September 5, 1943 to Emma Stank Krisch and Wilhelm Krisch. At the time of her birth, her father was a soldier in the German army. When the war ended in 1945 the borders of Germany (East Prussia) changed and her home became a part of communist Poland. Christa was so proud of her heritage. She loved her home in Selbongen. She will be forever grateful for the small obscure Selbongen LDS Branch where she witnessed strength, hope in action, amid the sore trials of World War II and its aftermath. Those experiences taught her to love and trust in her Father in Heaven and her Savior, Jesus Christ then and throughout her life. Though her childhood was filled with fear and hardship, she always spoke fondly of her life in Selbongen.

She loved attending church and school, and was part of a dance group. She loved to be outside and climb trees with her friend Heinz, much to the chagrin of her older sister Renate, who took care of her while her mother worked on a communist farm. She loved to pick berries in the forest and loved to visit her grandparents. She had many friends and has visited her home and her childhood friends and German relatives many times throughout her life. Her last visit was in 2022.

Christa, along with her mother and sister, were able to leave communist Poland and were reunited with their father and husband in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 8, 1957. This was the first time Christa met her dad. Her and her family settled in Bountiful, Utah. The family was sealed for time and all eternity in the LDS Salt Lake Temple on April 19, 1958. She was so grateful to live in America and to enjoy freedom of religion and was a proud citizen.

Christa graduated from Bountiful High School. She later attended Utah State University, where she met her first husband, David Lee Nielsen. She lived with David and their four children in Logan and Farmington Utah.

Christa loves her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with all her heart. She faithfully prayed for each one of them daily and enjoyed spending time with them.

Christa later attended Weber State University and spent 11 years teaching English as a second language (ESL) to Elementary children in Layton, Syracuse and Bountiful.

Christa married her second husband, Larry Rowe, for time and all eternity on April 22, 2006 in the Salt Lake Temple. Larry was her best friend, dance partner, and travel buddy. She relished the years they had together. She and Larry served a mission in Mesa, Arizona, and later served another mission at the Joseph Smith Memorial building in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Christa loved to attend the temple. After Larry passed away in 2019, Christa moved to a home in Layton, Utah and then to Sunridge Assisted Living in Layton, Utah. She met many friends in Layton and at Sunridge, who she loved dearly.  Christa’s faith and her testimony have touched many lives.

Christa is survived by her four children and their spouses: Anita Wahlstrom, (Kevin); Carol Harward, (Brett); Julia Ann Wallace, Brian Nielsen, (Julie); 16 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilhelm and Emma Stank Krisch; her sister Renate Erika George, (Carter), and her husband Larry Olene Rowe.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel on 400 South 2200 West in Layton, Utah, at 11:00 a.m. with a viewing from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Friends may visit family on Friday, May 1st, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the same address. Interment will be held at the Bountiful City Cemetery.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary and Crematory YouTube Channel and on this obituary page. See YouTube video below.