Today's Featured Biography

 
Keith Christensen

Gosh, where to start... During my stay and after I left UWM, I worked as a church organist and music director at several churches, the longest being at Grace Baptist church on 34th and I think Lloyd in Milw. until the congregation dwindled to only a few older souls who finally merged with a church in the suburbs. I didn't go with them, but I continued to play nearly full time, substituting for other organists here and there. That was a lot of fun. I did work at a few other things. I was good at selling things so after I worked about a year at Gimbels I went to work as a wholesale rep for the Hoover Co. and I liked that but, you know, it just wasn't what I wanted to do.
My Mom had a stroke and passed away in 1974. She left me a little money and there was a small flower shop for sale on North Ave. and I thought I might like to buy it...God, how lucky I was that that didn't happen!...My Dad, bless his heart, told me I should work somewhere else first, so as it happened Charlie Locker, Lockers Flowers, sent me to Floral school in Chicago and gave me a job when I got back at his big shop on 91st and North.
To make a long story even longer, I wound up managing three stores for them and designing. I must have been good because people kept trying to hire me...go figure...
So, over the years I worked at Jim Manders in Shorewood, probably the classiest shop in Milw. I mean we had clients that you wouldn't believe. Those were great years!! And, Jim was a great and generous guy. Taught me so much.
I had my own shop in Mequon after that but I split with my partner and went to work for Larry Jones back in town. He was wonderful to me but he and his wife retired and he sold the shop to a man I didn't want to work for.
Through the wholesale house downtown, word got out that I was looking for a job and I wound up running the Floral Dept. and Gift Shop at the American Club in Kohler, Wi. and being the florist for the Kohler Co. That was fabulous and I was there about 10 years. It was a great job but involved a 60 mile commute one way, but you know I didn't mind.
My friend and I had a great house on Grant Blvd. (in the shadow of WHS). When we were in school it belonged to Mrs Harris, my English teacher. Remember?
Anyway, that was fine until a kid pointed a gun at me and our dog through the front window! We moved to Grafton, big house, because I had a Concert Grand piano and needed the space.
I was traveling a lot, doing design shows and stuff. I wound up single, then my Dad passed suddenly and six months later, my brother.
I bought a house in Sheboygan Falls. I had my job at Kohler, a few miles away and I opened an antique business in Appleton. I was accepted into The American Institute of Floral Designers in 1992. Life was moving along but one winter I fell down in my driveway, hurt my shoulder and decided that was it! I put an ad in a trade magazine and an offer came from St. Croix, the Bahamas. I went and checked it out but on one trip I stumbled upon a small, nifty shop for sale in Key West. I wound up there instead. I used to vacation there and liked it, so why not.
That was fun but in 2002 I was diagnosed with MS and had to quit doing flowers. I went to work for a big souvenir company in Key West and managed three of 17 stores they had there and I was doing a lot of buying.
Well, they closed a bunch of stores and I was a casualty but I found this job at the Navy Visitors Quarters and I've been with them for 6 years now. The opportunity came to go to Cuba, so here I am. I love it.
Living on a Naval base is different, most would find it confining, especially when it is in a country where you can't leave the base.
I live in a 6 story bldg. on the edge of the Bay. The water is beautiful and the mountains of Cuba are in the distance on the other side, shrouded in mist. The climate is like northern Arizona, very dry, lots of big cactus and desert plants. This last week we were in the middle of a Tropical Depression and it rained more than it had in 63 years. Everything gets sooo green.
If my health remains stable; I have a little trouble with my legs, I should be able to stay here for another 2 years.
I've done a lot of traveling and enjoyed my life. It's been a wild ride but I wouldn't trade a minute of it.
This year I retired to a house I bought in New Mexico.
Hobbies include collecting Barber memorabilia, mostly shaving mugs and of course, music.

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