Prominent resident Ella Christensen dead at 89

Jenny Marder

Ella Christensen, a prominent figure in Surf City for years and a

“second mother” to many, died Friday at 89.

Christensen passing strikes a deep chord in Huntington Beach,

where her network of friends was far-reaching, encompassing police

officers, fishermen, lifeguards and shop owners.

“She was a fixture on the pier,” Huntington Beach Police Sgt.

Corby Bright said. “She was supportive of everything. She was a big

supporter of all the fisherman, of everyone across the board.”

Christensen and her husband, Carl, who died in 1972, owned three

shops on the pier -- Neptune’s Locker, Captains Galley and the Tackle

Box. She ran a good business and a tight ship, said Bright, who met

her in 1975 and worked for two or three years in her shops.

After a violent winter storm in 1988 ripped off half of the pier,

she was forced to close her shops down. They were never reopened

“The pier was her family,” said Willie Beyer, a former employee at

Neptune’s Locker. “When she went home at night, people would follow

her home and make sure she got home safely.”

Christensen, who was born in Akron, Colo., on Dec. 23, 1913, came

to Huntington Beach with Carl and their daughter, Joy, in the 1950s.

Friends and family describe her as hard-working, strong willed and

extremely giving.

“She always tried to help everybody,” said Michelle Turner, owner

of the Sugar Shack Cafe on Main Street. “When she gave you her word,

she meant it, you know, like back in the olden days.”

Christianson was the creator of the Huck Finn Derby, a fishing

contest put on every summer for children. She also supported the

city’s Police Department and Fire Department.

“She had a very good, hard life,” said Christensen’s daughter, Joy

Getler. “She worked hard all her life.”

A private family service was held this week.

“It’s going to be a big hole in our lives,” Getler said. “She was

a very viable, loved person in the community of Huntington Beach and

Orange County and beyond.”