Paul Christiansen

Paul Christiansen, age 100, of Madison, died on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at Madison Regional Health System after a brief illness.

Funeral service will be 11 AM on Saturday, December 18th at St. John Lutheran Church, Madison with Rev. Karl Breddin officiating. Visitation will be 5-7 PM on Friday at Rustand-Weiland Funeral Chapel and will continue on Saturday one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in St. Thomas Cemetery. Online guestbook is at www.rustandweilandfuneral.com. The funeral will be livestreamed on the funeral chapel Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to St. John Lutheran Church, 122 S. Grant Ave., Madison, SD 57042.

Paul Edwin Christiansen was born April 12, 1921, to Carl & Caroline (Boehmke) Christiansen, on the family farm near Lake Madison. His childhood home was a manufactured home from Sears and Roebuck Company. He married Bernardine Barrick of Winfred in 1942, and they remained on the farm and raised their family of 5 children there. Bernardine passed away in 1992. He married Audrey Friedow in 2000, and after living on the farm for almost 85 years, Paul retired from farming, and he and Audrey moved into Madison in 2007. He also has enjoyed playing the guitar for over 80 years, (self-taught) and has played with several groups, both here and in Texas, where they wintered. Music was one of the joys of his life. Many happy, fun times were spent with family/friends around the organ/piano for a ‘tune’ and made for many wonderful memories.

The Christiansen home was filled with laughter, fun, music, and family, and Paul never met a stranger. He was helpful and friendly to anyone and everyone, and always lived his life with integrity, honesty, kindness and good neighborliness.

Paul loved the farm and loved to talk farming to anyone who enjoyed it as well. He was a remarkable man and will be truly and deeply missed.

He was preceded in death by his son, Duane (1966); wife, Bernardine (1992); his parents, Carl and Caroline; brothers, Ernest and Charles and sister, Ann.

He is survived his wife, Audrey; daughters, Mary Jo Siemonsma (Jim), Peggy Martin (John), Norma Martin (Bob), and Linda Heilman (Bernie); 18 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. He is also survived by 4 step-children, Donyce Eekhoff (Pete), Holyce Nissen (Steve), Joslyn Lubbers (Gordy) and Kyle Friedow (Jill); 17 step–grandchildren and several step great–grandchildren, who truly cared for and enjoyed spending time visiting him.