Carol Christensen

Carol (Mead) Weber/ Christensen was born May 23, 1930. at Wessington Springs, S.D., the second daughter of parents Charles “Ben” Mead and Neva L. Voorhees.

Carol married Curtis Weber in 1946 and five boys were born to this union: Gaylon, Darwin, Wayne, C.L. and Gaylord. In 1992 she married Paul R. Christensen.

Carol attended school at Wessington Springs, learned to hunt pheasants driving a Model T and was a lifeguard at age 15. She was hired while the boys were off to WWII and saved 12 lives that summer. Her childhood memories have been written down in an interview by Lola Weber.

In the 1950s she sold Stanley Home Products such as cleaning and personal supplies when gas was 25 cents a gallon. The family ran a farm in Buffalo County, where they raised hogs, cattle, sheep, turkey, guineas, chickens and geese. They also milked cows twice a day and lambed out ewes. She shared that she loved fried chicken and “could shoot them, clean and fry them for supper.” The best time of her life was raising her kids on the ranch.

In the 1970s she cooked at the Memorial Hospital in Wessington Springs, although she hadn’t learned to do much cooking before she married. Other jobs involving cooking were at the bowling alley, senior center and the Prairie Lounge and Idle Hour Tavern in Wessington Springs. She and Paul ran a bar in Kimball, S.D., for several years.

She especially enjoyed going to movies, square dancing, TV sports, historical and Western movies, cooking and reading. She especially enjoyed watching her boys and grandchildren playing sports, in which she received “The Loyal Fan Award” in 1970.

May she be remembered as a woman of “true grit.”

Carol died Sept. 15, 2020. She was 90.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Theone; sons, Gaylon and Wayne; and husband, Paul. 

Carol is survived by her sons, Darwin (Lola) of Longview, Wash., C.L. (Sherry) of Custer, S.D., and Gaylord (Deena) of Liberty, Mo.; step-sons, Paul Jr. and Kim Christensen; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; cousins and nieces.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Custer Regional Senior Care for their loving care. 

Burial will be at Prospect Cemetery in Wessington Springs. A family service will be held at a later date.

Please post condolences on the Basham Funeral Service website at Bashamfuneralservice.com. 

Donations may be made to Wessington Springs Senior Center Building Fund, attention Delores Schimke, PO Box 45, Wessington Springs, SD  57382.