Ted and Sandy Christensen were married on Feb. 17, 1962, at the Horace Bushnell Church in Hartford, by Ted’s twin brother, the Rev. William Christensen. After the reception they left for Vermont on their honeymoon but after running into a blizzard, they stayed overnight in Northampton, Mass.
The next day they returned to Granby and the home they had purchased on Deerwood Drive in September 1961. Over the next four years their children Curt, Craig and Carol were born. They lived in the house for six years, adding two bedrooms and an upstairs bathroom. In 1968 they built a four-bedroom Colonial at 45 Shelley Drive. It was the second house built in the new neighborhood of Poet’s Corner, and they still reside there. The children who were 3, 4 and 5 when they moved, attended Granby schools, and all now live within a 30-minute drive of Granby.
In 1963 Ted began a new career in life insurance sales while Sandy held down the home fort. After five years in sales, he started his own firm—Coordinated Financial Planning—representing Home Life for 11 years and Minnesota Mutual for 25 years and built a successful sales organization. Ted retired at age 65.
In the 1960s Ted served two terms on the Granby Board of Selectman. He served as president of the Granby Jaycee’s and joined the board of Granby Homes, which manages the 59 apartments in Stoney Hill Village. He served on this board for 42 years including president of the board for 20 years.
In 1963 Sandy and Ted joined the South Church where their children were baptized and two were married. Over the years Sandy and Ted served the church in numerous capacities and sang in the church choirs. Sandy was a member of the Sow and Reap Club that ran an annual plant sale. She hosted the Sunday Fellowship Hour, worked at the Salmon Brook Historical Society annual flea market, and was a member of the beading group at the Senior Center. She’s always been the children’s and seven grandchildren’s lead cheerleader at their sporting events.
In 2000 they went to Israel with a group from Granby. They later traveled to Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Greece, and Russia. They also traveled throughout the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. They played tennis and golf at Hop Meadow Country Club and Ted continues to sing with the Intonations and runs the school children’s eye screening through the Granby Lions Club.
They have had a wonderful life together.