Charles passed away in 2014 and
Mildred in 2017. Their family is honored to pass on their legacy by encouraging
the next generation of Iowa-Grant students to better themselves, through
education.
Scholarship details: This scholarship is
available for students pursuing an education at an accredited college or
technical school. They must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Preference may be given for involvement in the community. Preference may
be given for financial need.
Return to the Scholarship Listing page.
Charles G. Christianson
Feb 12, 1922 – Aug 30, 2014
Charles G. Christianson passed away
on August 30, 2014 at the age of 92. A beloved husband and father, he was born
on February 12, 1922, the son of Merle and Mabel (Thorison) Christianson.
Charles married Mildred Mae Carter on May 26, 1945.
Charles attended the one-room school
at Mt. Hope (Eden township in Iowa County) and graduated from Cobb High School.
He attended one year of college, with plans to study engineering, before
returning home to assist his ailing father on the beef farm. He soon converted
the farm to dairy and spent many wonderful years with his wife of 69 years,
Mildred, raising their six children.
Charles cared deeply for the farm,
both the tillable acreage and the bluffs with massive pine trees. A
conservationist at heart, he was a pioneer in installing contour strips and
grass waterways. He led a frugal life, choosing to repair machinery rather than
buy new. It was common to see a welding rod in one hand and a hammer in the
other. He experienced many changes during his farming career, from farming with
horses to eventually milking with a pipeline system. He was proud to pass the
family farm, established in 1861, to his son Steven.
Charles led by example,
emphasizing a strong work ethic and an appreciation for music, church and
neighbors. Education was especially important to Charles. He actively supported
the establishment of the Iowa-Grant school district and was a member of the building
committee which chose the architect and ultimately the unique design of the
Iowa-Grant High School. He was proud that all his children were able to
graduate from college. Charles nurtured a strong Christian faith. His tattered
bible is a testament to his faith.
Charles also required a steady
diet of fun. He loved to take photographs and videos of his family. He enjoyed
eating lutefisk and lefse. When his children offered to take him to Norway, if
he replaced his bum knee, he leapt at the chance and soon thereafter visited
Norway in 1993.
He was instrumental in
establishing Blackhawk Lake and regularly fished and boated on the lake.
Neighborhood parties and family campouts have been held on the farm bluffs for
decades. Despite the rigors of farming, he found time to camp at Hatfield and
Blackhawk Lake and to visit his children.
Charles was preceded in death
by his parents, his only sister Delva Harris Anderson and her husbands Gerald
Harris and Homer Anderson, his sister-in-law Lois (Clayton) Clifton, and
brother-in-law Lloyd (Ruth) Carter.
Charles is survived by his
wife, Mildred, and 6 children, Mary Jo Wagner of Eau Claire, WI and her
children Chris (Heather) Wagner, Annette (John) McClelland and Melissa (Eric)
Thering; Peggy (Brad) Biddick of Livingston, WI and their children Jason
(Wendy) Biddick and Amy (Jeff) Crull; Janie (Pat) Griswold of Dallas, TX and
their children Erik (Leslie) Griswold and Rachel (Marc) Stein; Joette (Don)
Suloff of Middleton, WI and their daughter Kristen Suloff; Jill Hynes of Fort Collins,
CO and her son Logan Hynes; and Steven (Christina) Christianson of Cobb, WI and
their children Christl Burns, Charles Christianson and Carter Christianson; and
18 great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.
Funeral Services were held at
11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 6, 2014 at Grace Lutheran Church in Dodgeville.
Pastor Kenneth L. Schaub officiated. Burial was at the East Bethlehem Cemetery.
The Lulloff-Peterson-Houck Funeral Home in Dodgeville served the family.
Memorials to the Iowa-Grant Education Foundation would be greatly appreciated.
Mildred Mae Carter
Christianson, 91, passed away on January 28, 2017, in Dodgeville,
Wisconsin. Beloved wife and mother, Mildred was born on May 12, 1925 in
Montfort, Wisconsin, the daughter of Mary Dewitt and William Carter.
Mildred attended school at Montfort, graduating as Salutatorian of her high
school class. While Montfort was a small town, it had the luxury of a
movie theatre and swimming pool. During high school, Mildred worked at
the Montfort Pool as the Matron. Mildred often rode the train to
Fennimore, as easily as we hop in the car today.
Mildred worked at the Cobb
Canning Company before moving to Madison to work as an office typist. On
May 26, 1945, she married Charles and they began their married life on the
Christianson family dairy farm, founded in 1861. Her dedication and
Christian beliefs created a rewarding and delightful family life, inspiring
family gatherings on the farm that continue today. Son Steven and family
now live on the Christianson Century Farm.
Mildred provided for her
family’s needs by sewing dresses for her five daughters, keeping the wood
stoves lit and creating delicious meals, along with feeding calves, tending to
the chickens, washing the milkers and mowing lawn. In the summer she
raised a huge garden, canned fruits, vegetables and beef, made the best
apple butter and taught her daughters how to pick beans, enjoy the taste of
rhubarb punch and the fragrance of lilies of the valley. She had a good
flock of hens that produced an abundance of eggs used to trade with local
grocers. There was always a mid-afternoon snack of sandwiches, ice water
in mason jars, and cookies brought out to the fields during harvest.
Mildred taught herself to play the
piano (with the help of her sister, Lois) and soon accompanied her children as
they sang at various school, church and 4-H functions. Other hobbies
included rosemaling, furniture refinishing and camping at Hatfield, Blackhawk
Lake and Governor Dodge. Mildred and Charles enjoyed many trips in their
motorhome visiting children. Mildred was an active member in the Women’s
Circle of Peace Lutheran Church in Cobb, WI and Grace Lutheran Church in
Dodgeville, WI and numerous Bible studies for many years.
Mildred was preceded in death by her
husband Charles Christianson, her sister Lois Nancy Clifton and husband
Clayton, her brother Lloyd Carter and wife Ruth, and her sister-in-law Delva
Christianson Harris Anderson and husbands Gerald Harris and Homer Anderson.
Mildred is survived by her 6
children: Mary Jo Wagner of Eau Claire, WI and her children Christian (Heather)
Wagner, Annette (John) McClelland and Melissa (Eric) Thering; Peggy (Brad)
Biddick of Livingston, WI and their children Jason (Wendy) Biddick and Amy
(Jeff) Crull; Janie (Pat) Griswold of Dallas, TX and their children Erik
(Leslie) Griswold and Rachel (Marc) Stein; Joette (Don) Suloff of Middleton, WI
and their daughter Kristen Suloff; Jill Hynes of Fort Collins, CO and her son
Logan Hynes; and Steven (Christina) Christianson of Cobb, WI and their children
Christl (Cole) Roelli, Charles Christianson and Carter Christianson; and 18
great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.
Visitation and funeral were held at
Grace Lutheran Church, Dodgeville, WI February 4, 2017. Interment
took place at East Bethlehem Cemetery on Sunday, February 5, 2017.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made to Iowa-Grant Education Foundation, to be included in the Charles and
Mildred Christianson Endowed Scholarship.
