Julie Christianson

Julie Christianson, 91, long-time resident of rural Elbow Lake, MN, passed away Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at the University of Colorado hospital in Aurora, CO.

A Celebration of Life and inurnment will be held at Mariposa Gardens in Mesa, AZ, at a later date.

Julianne Geneva Folkedal was born November 2, 1931, to Julian L. Folkedal and Bernice (Brandvold) Folkedal at Dalton, MN. She attended school in Little Falls (MN), Gilbert (MN), and graduated from Elbow Lake High School in 1949. She attended Moorhead State College graduating in 1951 with an Associates in Education degree. She began her teaching career in Grade 5 at Appleton, MN.   

On April 11, 1953, she married Ronald J. Christianson at the First Lutheran Church in Elbow Lake and they resided in rural Elbow Lake. To this union, three children were born: Paula Elaine, Marie Helen, and John Ronald.  

The fall of 1963, Julie was back in the classroom at Elbow Lake where she taught for 29 years, retiring in 1992. While teaching, Julie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Minnesota at Morris.   

Julie and Ronald loved traveling and they enjoyed being “snowbirds” to Arizona.  They eventually moved to Mesa, AZ, and Julie enjoyed working at See’s Candies.  Ronald passed away in 2016 so in 2018, Julie moved to Aurora, CO to be near daughter Marie and granddaughter Sabrina.   

Julie is survived by her children: Paula Conejo of Roseburg, TX; Marie Christianson (Frank) of Aurora, CO; and John (Marlene) Christianson of Waterloo, NE.  She is also survived by her granddaughter Sabrina (Jeremiah) Jones of Aurora, CO; her great-grandson Logan Jones; and great-granddaughter Chloe Jones; as well as many nieces and nephews.   

Julie was preceded in death by her parents, Julian and Bernice; stepfather, Clarence Hanson; her in-laws, Ralph and Helen; sister and brother-in-law, Doris and Perry Caranicas; sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Jim Postudensek; stepbrother, Harold Hanson; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Rodney and Pat Christianson; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Joycelyn and Roger Dickey.