Christine Helen (Anderson) Livingston

Life’s Reflections

Christine Helen Livingston was born Christine H. Anderson in Magnolia, Arkansas on January 21, 1919 to Jerry Baker and Nancy Ann Anderson. She was the sixth of fourteen children born to this union.  Christine was educated thru the sixth grade and after sixth grade had to work to help the family, self-educating any chance she got.  

At a very early age Christine gave her life to Christ and joined the Macedonia Baptist Church in Magnolia, Arkansas where she served until after her marriage.   Throughout her lifetime, she learned all she could, by reading and studying.  Christine proved herself to be intellectually savvy in the areas of finance and domesticity.

Christine married John Victor Livingston, a WWI veteran, on November 8, 1944. After marrying “Jay” she followed him in church membership to the Good Hope Baptist Church, Camden, Arkansas.  On September 2, 1949 John and Christine left Arkansas and moved to Kansas City, Kansas.  On the fourth Sunday in October 1949 they joined the Strangers Rest Baptist Church, by ‘Letter’ where they faithfully gave a lifetime of service.  In 1979 Christine was ordained and began serving as Deaconess.  For many years she sang in the Sanctuary Choir and Mission Chorus; became a Mission Devotional leader, a member of the former Bazaar and Excelsior Clubs and a member of the Church Beautiful Committee.  She was a faithful Sunday School, Mission and Baptist Training Union (BTU) student in Christian Education, she also helped in the kitchen hospitality ministry for many years.

John and Christine were married 52 years until his passing in 1996. Christine’s parents, six brothers and five sisters also preceded her in death.  Out of this lineage Christine has mothered two children, seven grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren, three great-great grand babies. Christine was an excellent wife and full-time mother.  Quiet and resilient, loving and devoted to both her husband, children and grandchildren. She was a self-educated seamstress, sewing for her family and community.  She was also an avid lover of music, flowers and gardening in general, taking care of her beloved vegetable garden in her back yard until her 95th year.  She loved preserving, canning and, cooking in general.    

Christine had a gift for giving.  It could be a meal she meticulously prepared, that she also would hand deliver in a box to you telling you to return her box so she could use it the next time.

Her personal card ministry touched the hearts and lives of so many with a personal message and “a little change” she would include. She would always say, “I don’t have much, but I wanted you to have this.”  

She drove her car well into her nineties, voluntarily giving up that privilege for safety reasons. 

Christine was a great friend, a servant of God who tirelessly ministered to the needs of others.  God blessed her with good health and strength throughout her lifetime.

She gave her children advantages in music lessons and taught them so they would be grounded in the word of God and faithful in regular church attendance.  She was instrumental in taking her grandchildren to Sunday School and instilling the word of God in them. Fresh, hot meals were a daily blessing for the family.  Her favorite church hymn was “Blessed Assurance”, Jesus is mine.  She is indeed an “heir of salvation” having been washed in Jesus’ blood and remaining a faithful servant.  Christine loved to travel and to read her Bible, The Call Newspaper (she had an ongoing subscription), Guidepost and Our Daily Bread.  She also enjoyed sitting on her porch, reading and visiting with her neighbors, all personal and generous friends.

Christine leaves to cherish her memory, two children: Johnny E. Livingston of Houston, Texas; and Sandra K. Livingston-Roberson (Terry) of Kansas City, Missouri; of Johnny’s body are Quincy; Adrian; and Duryan Livingston; of the body of Sandra are Lynette Davenport (Leslie); Lydelle Livingston, Sr. (ShaDonna); and James E. Jefferson, Jr.; all of the grandchildren are residents of Kansas City, Missouri; her living siblings are Nancy Josephine Dickens of Kansas City, Kansas; and Herman Earl Anderson (Imogene) of Chidester, Arkansas. 

 Mommy, Mama, Grandma

Christine will be greatly missed by her many grandchildren, relatives, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends too numerous to count.

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