Julie Christiansen Bott Obituary (1949

Juliene Christiansen Bott was born in Provo, Utah on February 2, 1949 and left this mortal realm on the third of August, 2020 of causes incident to age. She was the only daughter of Boyd and Fern Christiansen and the only sister to Richard, Robert and Tommy, all of whom preceded her in death. She attended Orem High School and BYU and enjoyed German, English, and dancing—both ballet and ballroom. As a child she remembered well her job to periodically hose down 4th West in Orem (and an occasional driver with the window down) in front of her house to keep the dust controlled, as it was only a dirt road. An area minimally developed at the time, she chased lizards and rode horses in the fields with her friends, picked cherries in the summer and flushed pheasants for her dad. She married Max Johnson and together they had three children: Dr. Jennifer Tittensor (Zach), Rebecca Johnson, and Michael Phillip Johnson (deceased). Were she in Asia, she would have been called a “Tiger Mom”, prodding and encouraging accomplishment in all her children as they excelled in their professions of medicine and engineering. She and Max later divorced and she eventually married Dr. Cordell Bott, becoming the step-mother to four more children: Jason Bott, Jeffrey Bott, Janelle Bott Fenn, and Jeremy Bott. As the years progressed 18 grandchildren—five now married—and three great-grandchildren were added to the family. Almost as important were her fluffy, cuddly canines who were her constant companions. With a large family a party planner was also needed and Julie grew into that role, becoming the consummate hostess. Fern and Boyd’s home was always open to extended family and Julie grew up with grandparents, nieces, and nephews. She kept the tradition alive. Her home was always the gathering place for the neighborhood children and as her own family members needed a home for a few months or several years, they were always welcome in hers. The college grandchildren continue vie with each other to see who gets to live with grandma and grandpa. Julie and Cordell loved to travel. She spent time at the family ranch in the summer and St George in the winter. She would join Cordell as they traveled around the country hauling horses and could be found pushing a reluctant colt into a horse trailer at 6 AM from a stable in Texas. She was always at his side as he attended medical meetings or just vacationed. As a consequence, she saw most of the United States as well as the world. Together they visited more than 85 countries on six continents, many multiple times. She had a special place in heart for the third world countries where values of strong family ties and a strong work ethic were always evident, whether in a small adobe hut in the Andes, a daub and wattle hut with a dung floor in Africa, or a house built on stilts on the Mekong River. She also loved tall buildings and has been to the top of many—from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, the TV tower in Toronto to the Hancock tower in Chicago to World One in New York. She loved the Eiffel Tower most and insisted on ascending it every time she was in Paris. Her favorite building was the Taj Mahal in India and her favorite landscapes were the peaks of Torres del Paine in Chile, Iguazu Falls in Argentina, Victoria Falls in Zambia, and Gullfoss Falls in Iceland. Julie loved animals and they loved her. Besides her puppies, she loved the horses at the ranch and in her lifetime rode horses, camels, elephants, and an ostrich. She was also game for adventure including zip lines, diving with sharks, sailing, off-roading, parasailing, river rafting, water skiing, snow skiing, and spelunking. Julie’s ability to make and keep and just be a friend was among her most endearing qualities. Whether it was someone she met in kindergarten or on a cruise, she had friends around the world and would keep in touch with all of them. And if you were her friend, that would often lead to board and card games. She should probably have received royalties from some of her favorites, as she introduced them to so many. As her life wound down, her list of close friends was long indeed. They have all been so supportive during her illness and their love and kindness has been deeply appreciated. Julie had an abiding faith in Jesus Christ and loved the LDS temples. She was an ordinance worker for several years which was her most treasured church calling. As a family we want to thank the team at Utah Valley Hospital for the professional and loving care they provided during her last days. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon, Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at the Berg Orem Chapel, 500 North State Street, Orem, Utah. A visitation will be held at the mortuary on Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:50 a.m. prior to services. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. In view of COVID-19 concerns, please wear a mask and practice social distancing. To express condolences to the family, please go to www.bergmortuary.com. A video of the funeral service will be downloaded to her Tribute Wall.