Christine T. (Turnbull) Jorgensen

Christine T. (Turnbull) Jorgensen, age 83, formerly of Monmouth, Illinois and of Denver, Colorado; passed away in her residence in Colorado on October 17, 2024. Christine was born on September 12, 1941 in Champaign, Illinois and is the daughter of David and Ruth Buchholz Turnbull. She was raised in Monmouth where she attended local schools and graduated from Monmouth High School in the class of 1959. In the social expansion of the 1960's Christine left her hometown for Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota and majored in English. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Roosevelt University in Chicago. She married her first husband, Craig Murdock, and with their son Gaunt, moved to London, England where her daughter, Vanessa was born. Returning to the United States they settled in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver where she met her husband, Jim Jorgensen who she loved for half of a century. Her belief in the principal of fairness, and her commitment to public service led her to a long career in social work. She was a case worker in the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, where she worked with families in Altgeld Gardens, notable as the birthplace of the Environmental Justice movement. She worked in adult social services and child protection at Denver Social Services, followed by a nearly 20 year career at Colorado Children's Hospital. In the decade following her retirement from Children's Hospital, she spent several semesters with her husband, Jim, teaching social work and early childhood development at the People's Youth College for Politics in Beijing China. As a second career, she joined Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America, and over the next 15 years published seven mystery novels. She took up oil painting, taking classes at the Art Students League of Denver. Her interest in botany is reflected in her work, which has shown in the Art Students League Summer Art Market and is currently showing in the Colorado Symphony Guild Shop in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Chris was an enthusiastic traveler, a dedicated bridge player, a writer, a painter, a symphony goer, a golfer, a reader, and a lover of color. Chris was a creative and adventurous friend. She had a tremendous empathy for people who are struggling, and a deep understanding of children, as reflected both in her work with children and families, and in her writing. She was a natural diplomat. She was independent and kind. She assumed others, children and adults alike, to be reasonable, intelligent and competent. She possessed a can-do attitude and practical talent, learning home and auto repair as the need arose. She applied herself with intensity to whatever project was at hand. Chris is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, James Jorgensen of Denver, her children, Gaunt Murdock and Emma and Vanessa Murdock and Michael, and her step children John Jorgensen and (PamWilliams) and Catherine Jorgensen, her grandchildren, Paulot Gaudin, Naya Murdock, Eamon Murdock, Hannah Jorgensen, Dana Jorgensen, AJ Courage and Chloe Courage, and her siblings, Nancy Walters and John and John Turnbull and Denise. She is preceded in her death by her grandparents and parents.

A service in her memory was held at the Horan & MaConaty Funeral Home in Denver at 2:00 pm on November 22, 2024. Cremation was accorded and dispersing of her ashes is to happen at a later time. Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth is in charge of her care locally. To leave a remembrance of for more information please continue in the site.