Michael and Lisa Carlsen

Mike 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. Michael’s home town is a short drive away at Milbank, South Dakota. Michael has been a licensed Funeral Director 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. Michael is currently serving as the elected Brown County Coroner.

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 have been offered, by having a local outlet for cremation.

Lisa is an Aberdeen native.  She is the daughter of Joan Sahli and the late Al Sahli.

Taylor Oster

Taylor Oster has been a licensed Funeral Director in South Dakota since 1996 following his mortuary schooling at Worsham College of Mortuary Science at Wheeling, Illinois.  He has held a North Dakota Funeral Directors License since 2003.

Taylor grew up in Mobridge, South Dakota and graduated from Mobridge High School.  He graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor Degree in Business Management. He also attended Presentation College in Aberdeen.

Taylor has owned funeral homes in Mobridge and Pine Ridge, South Dakota.  He has served as Walworth County Deputy Coroner for ten years and two terms as Mayor of  Mobridge.

Taylor is a Brown County Deputy Coroner and a South Dakota and North Dakota Licensed Insurance Agent. As well as having many years experience as a monument sales counselor.