Christina Marie Ecklund

Christina Marie was born on August 26, 1975, in Columbus, Nebraska, at Behlen Memorial Hospital. From a young age, she displayed a love for the arts and began taking dance lessons, studying ballet, tap, and pas de deux. She performed in several productions, including Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and multiple seasons of The Nutcracker.

Christina was active in many activities growing up, including swimming and 4-H. Through 4-H she discovered an early passion for fashion design. She excelled in cooking, baking, sewing, and the 4-H fashion show, earning many purple ribbons, a trophy for sewing and modeling her own garments, and a C & H Sugar award for her baking. She also enjoyed crochet as well as textile painting and dyeing.

Her childhood took her to several states as she attended elementary school in Nebraska, South Dakota, and California. After her family moved to California in 1983, church was a two-and-a-half-hour drive from home. The family attended the 8:00 a.m. service to avoid traffic, and Christina would often sleep in the back of the family Chevy Blazer until they were about thirty minutes away, then dress under a sheet before stopping for a quick breakfast on the way. She especially enjoyed participating in the children’s Christmas programs, where she could incorporate her dance skills.

Christina spent her freshman year and part of her sophomore year at California Lutheran High School. Her family later moved to Santa Maria, California, where she graduated from Ernest Righetti High School in 1993. After graduation she attended CAD Institute.

Christina was the loving mother of Samantha Marie (born June 8, 1995), Charles David (born October 3, 1997), and Aishah (born March 14, 2015). After the births of Samantha and Charles, she attended Monterey Peninsula College, where she studied business and fashion design and created her personal fashion label, CME. In 2014, Christina began sharing life with Mohamed Anwar.

Christina loved the beauty of God’s creation and treasured time spent at the ocean, visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, attending church summer camps, and participating in an International WELS Youth Rally. She also cherished visits to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, as well as time spent on her great-grandparents’ farm in South Dakota and on her grandparents’ ranch in California. Vacation Bible School was always a special joy, allowing her to spend time with church families and deepen friendships that she considered a true blessing.

Throughout her life Christina lived in Nebraska, South Dakota, California, Arizona, Belgium, and England. While in Belgium, she worked for a time with a children’s clothing manufacturer. During her years in England, she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fashion design and sewing.

Some of Christina’s most treasured moments were spent with family. A special highlight for her was attending her daughter Samantha’s wedding in 2023. Another was traveling with her mother, cousins, and daughter Aishah to the 2024 LWMS Rally in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She looked forward with great excitement to celebrating her 50th birthday in 2025 and had already begun planning a large gathering with family as early as 2023.

Christina was also thrilled to become a grandmother. With love and care, she crocheted a beautiful flower arrangement for her granddaughter, Vivienne, a gift that reflected both her creativity and her deep love for her family.

Christina will be remembered for her creativity, her faith, and the love she shared with those around her.

Christina is survived by Loretta and Leland McFarland, John and Debra Ecklund, Mohamed Anwar; children Samantha (Garett) Bussen, Charles Ecklund , Aisha Anwar; granddaughter Vivian Marie Bussen, numerous Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, and Nephews. She was preceded in Death by: Fred and Christine Miller, Elmer and Lila Barcus, Leo and Fern Peters, Ronald and Clair Ecklund, Paul Barcus, and Clarence and Marjorie Ecklund

Visitation will be from 5-7 pm Friday, March 20, 2026 at Pruss-Nabity Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 10 am Saturday, March 21 at the funeral home.