Obituary of Niels William Paulsen

Niels William “Bill” Paulsen, 89, died March 1, 2023, at home in Centralia, Washington.  Bill was born February 27, 1934, in Chehalis, Washington, to Niels and Mary Paulsen.

 

Bill served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea.  He married his one true love, Carol Ann Rowland, on March 31, 1956, at the Methodist Church in Centralia and they were married for 32 years.  They lived in Cathlamet, Kosmos, and Glenoma before settling in Centralia in 1971 with their four daughters.

 

Bill worked as a logger, heavy equipment operator, and mechanic.  He worked for Fred B. Moe Logging from 1968 to 1979.  He opened McPaul Machine in 1979 with Rick McMaken and they operated it until 2009.  Afterward, Bill continued to operate McPaul Cat & Crane, delivering equipment with his self-designed Kenworth and Lowboy.

 

Bill retired in 2015 and spent time on his boat, exploring Puget Sound and Canadian waters.  He loved to fish out of Sekiu while staying at Olson’s Resort.  He enjoyed riding horses and, at one time, liked to ride motorcycles.  Bill was smart, hardworking, and had a great sense of humor.  He loved his pepper on everything.  He wasn’t hard to find, since you could always track him down by following the aroma from his pipe tobacco.  He had a knack for assigning nicknames.  Often, you could find him at Judy’s Country Kitchen, chatting with friends or talking shop.

 

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Carol; an infant son; and his brother, Mickey Paulsen.  He is survived by daughters, Rhonda (Tom) Ritter, Renita (Greg) McKinney, Ramona Paulsen, Farmer (Billie) (Mike) Feist; grandchildren (who will be pallbearers), Cindy McKinney, Ashley (Ritter) Potter, Niels (Vincent) McKinney, Tyler Ritter, Levi Morris, Courtney (Feist) Helms, Cassidy Feist, Logan Morris, and Colby Feist; and 14 great-grandchildren, Hannah, Alexander, Adelaide, Willa, Laylan Niels, Alyssa, Scarlett, Braydin, Silas, Krew, Everlee, Ashtyn, River, and Jameson.

 

A very special thank you to Mary LaSalata for her love and care of Bill during his final years.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to Assured Home Health  or Assured Hospice of Centralia, 1821 Cooks Hill Road Suite 200, Centralia, WA 98531.

 

A graveside service will be Saturday, March 11, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at Fern Hill Cemetery, 2212 Roosevelt St., Aberdeen, WA 98520.  A celebration of Bill’s life will be Sunday, March 26, 2023, beginning at 12:00 p.m. at the Ford’s Prairie Grange, 2640 W. Reynolds Ave., Centralia, WA 98531.

 

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