Following is Christen’s obituary, which was published on Ann Arbor.com and in the Saline Reporter. This page will be revised in the future with a more complete biography.

Christen Merte, fiancee of Martin Cheatham, of Bremen, GA, passed away at University of Michigan Hospital on August 14, 2013.

Born March 25, 1981 in St. Paul, MN, she was the second daughter of Linda Livingstone (Douglas Eye) of Stockbridge, MI, and Kenneth Merte (Nancy Lindsay-Merte) of Southlake, TX. Christen was a long-time resident of Stillwater, MN, and Saline, MI. She graduated in 1999 from Saline High School, where she played viola and folk harp in the Fiddlers Philharmonic.

Christen was a voracious reader and an avid collector of university degrees. She received a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Michigan State University, a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Biology from Georgia Southern University, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University.

Her passion for wildlife conservation and research took her to Kathmandu, Nepal, with the World Wildlife Fund, and to Addo Elephant Park in South Africa to observe social behavior in elephants. In the US, she worked with the Michigan DNR, Emory University, USDA-APHIS, and the CDC in various aspects of wildlife disease management.

She was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Wildlife Disease Association. Following her graduation in May, 2013 from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, she planned to continue her professional career at Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York.

Christen was preceded in death by her grandparents, John and Margaret Livingstone of Saline; and several beloved pets: Elsa, Faux-pas, and Riley. In addition to her fiance and parents, she is survived by her siblings, Laura (Justin) Walsh, Sarah Merte, Christopher Merte, Maureen (Kevin) Krause, Sean (Kirstin) Eye, and Barry Eye; her grandparents, Herman and Bernice Merte; and countless family members.

Special thanks to Dr. Rashmi Chugh and her team at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.