Des Plaines woman who loved to travel dies from COVID-19

Mary Angela Christien visited every state except Hawaii during her 97 years.

She no doubt had the Aloha State on her to-do list.

Christien, who lived in Des Plaines since 2005, died from COVID-19 on April 17 at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. According to one of her five children, Mary Lynn Bower, Christien was healthy before suddenly collapsing at her home.

"We thought she was just dehydrated," Bower said.

Two of Bower's sisters were at Christien's home when she was transported to the hospital by paramedics, and both had to be quarantined. Neither tested positive for COVID-19.

Christien died three weeks after she was admitted to the hospital. While none of her family members were able to visit, Bower said they did speak to her on the phone and a priest was allowed to visit her.

Christien, Mary Angela Densberger, was married for 55 years before her husband, Carl, died in 2003. They both loved traveling and took the entire family to Europe in 1975.

She's survived by five children - Mary Lynn Bower, Carol Brown, Stephen Christien, Nancy Christien-Zidek and Anne Christien - in addition to six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Bower said her mother went to Alaska in 2005, the same year she moved from her hometown of Chicago to Des Plaines, and passed along the love of travel to her children.

"Our father and mother really loved to travel, and we all inherited that," Bower said.

Bower said a memorial will be held once the COVID-19 pandemic eases. Donations can be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation to benefit first responders.

Further information can be found at the Oehler Funeral Home website.