Martha Anna Marie Christiansen was born April 10, 1898, in Charter Oak Township, Iowa, the daughter of Jurgen and Marie Thies Koch. She died September 19, 1986, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital, at the age of 88 years, five months and nine days.

Mrs. Christiansen spent her early years on a farm near Charter Oak. After completing her early childhood education at St. John’s Lutheran School, she went to Denison where she did domestic work for many families.

On September 12, 1917, Martha was married to Paul C. Christiansen at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Together they made their home on a farm east of Charter Oak and later moved to a farm near Schleswig.

In March 1967 they retired and moved to Charter Oak were they lived together for ten years.

In December, 1977 her husband Paul died. Mrs. Christiansen was preceded in death by one son, Carol who died in 1954, and four sisters.

Survivors include two sons: Paul and his wife Marge of Herman, La Verne and his wife Laverne of Denison; three grandchildren, three great grandchildren and five step great grandchildren; one sister, Esther, Mrs. Herbert Greene of Charter Oak and one brother Edgar Koch of Sioux City. Other relatives include many cousins from Denmark, nieces, nephews and many friends.

Funeral services were held September 22, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Charter Oak. Burial was in the St. John’s Cemetery. The Rev. L. C. Gebhardt officiated at the service. Mrs. Paul Clausen served as organist with the St. John’s Ladies Choir singing.

Serving as pallbearers were: Howard Ahrenholtz, Norman D. Christiansen, Charles Greene, Ervin P. Kuhlmann, William Kunze, Edgar Koch, Jr., Donald Koch, Duane A. Smith and James Platt.

Funeral arrangements were made under the direction of the Huebner Funeral Home of Charter Oak.