Michael and Lisa Carlsen - Carlsen Funeral Home & Crematory

Michael and Lisa Carlsen are a first generation funeral home family. They have three daughters that have grown up with the funeral business. It has been a family effort to establish the reputation Carlsen Funeral Homes are known for.

The Carlsen’s opened their first funeral home in 1995 at Ashley, North Dakota. With the encouragement and support of the Ashley community, it gave them the strength to expand.

In late 1995 they built a new second location in Eureka, South Dakota. The Eureka people have been equally as supportive, and the funeral home has become part of the community.

Early in 1996, a past employer of Michael’s called and was ready to retire. This is when they purchased the Holte Funeral Home in Ellendale, ND. It was renamed Carlsen Funeral Home. In 2003 the time had come to complete the circle from Eureka to Ashley to Ellendale by opening a location in Aberdeen, South Dakota. This location not only offers a lovely chapel and viewing area, with wonderful grounds, it is home of their own crematory. The first crematory planned in Northeast South Dakota and South Central North Dakota. They felt their cremation customers deserved better than they had been offered, by having a local outlet for cremation.

Aberdeen is Lisa’s home town. Her father, the late Al Sahli was well known in high school and college athletics officiating and coaching. Her mother Joan still lives in Aberdeen, as does two of her brothers.

Michael’s home town is a short drive away at Milbank, South Dakota. Michael has worked in funeral service since 1982 and has held a South Dakota Funeral Directors License since 1985. He has held a North Dakota Funeral Directors License since 1990. In addition to his funeral director credentials he holds an Insurance License in North and South Dakota in order to serve his pre-funding customers most efficiently.

The Carlsen’s have dedicated their careers to helping families.