The funeral service for Joseph &uot;Joe&uot; A. Christiansen will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Alden. The Rev. Peter Soli will officiate. Burial will be in Alden Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 – 8 p.m. on Thursday at Bonnerup Funeral Service in Albert Lea and one hour before the service at the church. Military honors will be accorded by the Albert Lea Veteran’s Organizations.

Joe died on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002, at St. John’s Lutheran Home. He was 85 years old.

Joe was born in Rolfe, Iowa on June 17, 1917, the son of John and Carrie (Peterson) Christiansen. The family moved to Albert Lea in 1925. He graduated from Albert Lea High School. He worked at Midway Sub.

On August 17, 1941, he was united in marriage with Lila Riskedahl. Their daughter Gail was born Oct. 30, 1946.

During World War II Joe served with the U.S. Army from 1941-45 in Alaska as a firefighter. After returning from the military he worked at Western Grocery until that was sold and then he was employed at Wilson’s until he retired.

Joe is survived by his daughter, Gail and her husband, Phil Applegate of Minneapolis; four step-grandchildren, Veronica, Sheila, Mike, and Shelrae; 10 step-great-grandchildren, Bailey, Owen, Clayton, Adeline, Rachael, Jack, Mallory, Nathan, Caden, Dylan; two brothers, Amos and Dan Christiansen; two sisters, Leah (Mrs. Gene) Fynbo and Rachel Weigel; two sisters-in-law, Alice (Mrs. Lawrence) Riskedahl, and Marge (Mrs. Sam) Christiansen; numerous nieces and nephews; and friend Jeanette Mortenson.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lila in 1988; three sisters, Rebecca (Mrs. John) Bickford, Lydia (Mrs. Albert) Zitterich and Esther (Mrs. Henry) Frondahl; brother, Sam Christiansen; three sisters-in-law, Alta (Mrs. Amos) Christiansen, Alice (Mrs. Bruce) Shirk, Gladys Riskedahl; five brothers-in-law, Leonard, Ordean, Alvin, Lawrence and Roy Riskedahl.