Ellen Birgitte Christiansen

Ellen Birgitte Christiansen, age 95, died at Bethany Lutheran Home on Saturday August 21, 2010.

Ellen was born December 13, 1914, at the family home in rural Neola Township to Martin and Katie Hedegaard. She moved to California where she worked as a dietitian/cook in a residential school for visually handicapped children. On July 30, 1957, she was united in marriage to Julian A. Christiansen. During their forty years of marriage the couple lived in the house that Julian built in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. They were active members of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Redondo Beach, Calif. Ellen and Julian volunteered extensively for RSVP. After Julian's death in 1997, Ellen moved to Council Bluffs. She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Ruth Circle and was a quilter in the "Piece Corps."

Ellen was also preceded in death by her brothers, Emil, Alfred and Paul Hedegaard.

She is survived by her brother, Marvin Hedegaard, of LaVerne, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Junior Rasmussen, of Council Bluffs. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Melverine (Alfred) Hedegaard of Omaha; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Prayer service Wednesday, 6 p.m., at Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Funeral Home Bayliss Park Chapel followed by visitation with the family until 8 p.m. Interment Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, Calif. Memorials suggested to the Pipe Organ Fund at Our Savior's Lutheran Church.

This obituary was originally published in The Daily Nonpareil.