Obituary of Marion Christianson

Marion E. Christianson Marion Christianson, 90, beloved grandmother, died peacefully on July 14, 2011 at Panorama City retirement home. She was born in Mandan, North Dakota on February 12, 1921, the only child of Matt and Marie Reisanuer. After graduating from high school in 1939, she moved to Tacoma where she met and married her life’s partner, Glen. In 1942, they welcomed daughter, Gloria, to the family and after a lengthy separation due to Glen’s military service during World War II, the family moved to Baton Rouge, LA, and later to Grants Pass, OR, before returning to Washington permanently. Marion lived a long, colorful life filled with many interests which included painting, playing the organ, and spending winters in Arizona. But her greatest passion was her family, especially her four grandchildren. She was deeply involved in their lives, spending many happy days with them at her home on Lake St. Clair and later in Lacey, taking them on frequent trips in her RV, attending their athletic events, plays, graduations, etc. and hosting birthdays and holidays where her organ music became a favorite family ritual. She worked as a Thurston County Juvenile Probation Counselor, using her talents to help wayward kids improve their lives. She was also an accomplished painter and woman of deep faith who attended Mass at Sacred Heart and St. Michael’s Catholic Churches. She was the proud matriarch of four generations, leaves behind a legacy of devotion to her family and faith, and will be remembered as an extraordinary grandmother and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by Glen, her husband of 62 years, in 2003, and her daughter Gloria in 2009. She is survived by four loving grandchildren, Mark (Susan), of San Antonio, Texas; Glen, of Phoenix , Arizona; Molly (Dave) of Lacey; Chris of Busan, South Korea. She was also the proud great-grandmother of eight great-grandchildren: Erica, Cody, Corey, Mya, Haley, Brandon, Rebecca, and Jenny. A graveside service will be held at Mills and Mills Memorial Park on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, at 11:00 am. Condolences and memories of Marion may be left online for the family by clicking on the "View Guestbook" below.