Karen J. Christianson, age 73, of Winchester died Saturday, December 31, 2016, at Westbrooke Manor in Oshkosh. She was born on April 1, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, an April Fools baby with vibrant red hair, to the late Joseph and Anne (Paulich) Cademartori. In 1964 Karen, also known as "Charlie" in college, earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. On January 30, 1965, she married Peter Christianson in Madison and they started a life of adventure and cultural diversity. She was a world traveler, living in Japan and Germany, and had traveled extensively throughout Europe, including multiple trips to Norway, as well as the United States. Karen had visited every place in Europe and America where her Paulich grandparents lived. She worked as a substitute teacher and medical records tech. Karen spent many years involved in scouting as a den leader coach and she was awarded the Silver Beaver award from the Boy Scouts of America. Karen was a board member, Editor of the society's newsletter and honor member of the Winchester Area Historical Society; editing three 400-page books of local history, and she researched more than 600 Scandinavians who came to the Winchester area between 1846 and 1865. She was also the editor of a newsletter about immigrants from Toten, Norway. Karen was a life-long learner and voracious reader, forever curious, an expert genealogist and historian, and an artist in multiple media.
Karen was a loving wife, proud mother and mother-in-law, great-hearted grandmother, and precious sister, and is survived by her husband of 52 years, Peter Christianson, of Winchester; three sons, Peter "RePete" (Mary) Christianson, of Silver Springs, Maryland; Timothy (Lori) Christianson, of Phoenix, Arizona; Joseph (Jennifer) Christianson, of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin; four grandchildren, Nathaniel and Robert Christianson, of Phoenix; Brianna and Alissa Christianson, of Silver Springs; a sister, Kathy (Steve) Schweighardt, of Deerfield, Illinois; a brother, Kevin (Lorin Oswald) Cademartori, of Mequon; sisters-in-law, Adele (Melvin) Mathison, of Winchester; Coral (Dick) Anderson, of LaVeta, Colorado; brothers-in-law, Barry (Susan) Christianson, of Neenah; N. Stephen Friedrich, of rural Waupaca; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Along with her parents, Karen was also preceded in death by her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Palmer and Kathryn Christianson; and a sister-in-law, Laura Friedrich.
A visitation for family and friends will be on Saturday, January 7, 2017, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Mueller Funeral Home 904 E . Main St. Winneconne. A funeral service will be held on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. with Sr. Pam Biehl officiating. Burial will be in the Royer Cemetery, town of Clayton.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Winchester Area Historical Society or the Larsen-Winchester Lions Club.
If you wish please submit online condolences to muellerfuneralhomeinc.com.