James Christiansen

James Taylor Christiansen was born December 8, 1945, to Mary Lee Bishop and Mel Christiansen. Jim was the oldest of four children; he was followed by Rick, Paula, and Perry. Jim converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was fifteen. He served a mission in  Brazil. After his mission, Jim enrolled at BYU and completed a bachelor’s degree in English. He married Elizabeth Gaye Peck on July 27, 1967. He and Betty had eight kids: James, Brian, David, John, Rebecca, Rachel, Nathan, and Laurel. Jim started his MBA at BYU, was drafted to Vietnam, but was able to change his service to work in Colorado Springs. He completed his MBA at the University of Utah. Jim started his career selling life insurance, became certified in financial planning, and it eventually evolved into a comprehensive financial planning practice. Jim obtained CLU, ChFC, and CFP designations. He was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jim’s eight kids gave him thirty grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jim was a loyal husband to Betty. She died December 17, 2021. Since June 11, 2022, Jim has been very happily married to Catherine Evelyn Dahlke. Jim passed peacefully in his home on June 26, 2025, surrounded by his loving wife and children.