Norman Christian Carlsen

Norman Christian Carlsen passed away Monday, July 27, 2026 after a long illness. He was born on a wintery day, December 7, 1932, weighing a mere 5 pounds, to Nephi and Leah (Thomas) Carlsen in Pocatello, Idaho. He enjoyed telling people that he was so small and it was so cold that after his birth, his mother wrapped him in a blanket, placed him in a shoebox then placed the shoebox in the oven to keep him warm. He made sure to mention the oven door remained open.

At the time of his birth, Norman had two sisters, Arnetta (Ratto) and Jean (Staley). His brother Dale joined the family two years later. Norman and Dale became best friends and remained as such throughout their lives. The two got into hours of mischief from rescuing a chicken from the family’s outhouse to digging holes in their mother’s garden. Once they wanted to “trap something.” They dug holes in the flower garden, filled the holes with water and covered them. Their mother, dressed in her Sunday best, walked to the garden to cut flowers for a church meeting and quickly fell into one of the holes. Covered with mud, she changed her clothes, did not say anything to the boys, went to the meeting and dealt with the them when she returned home.

The family moved from Pocatello to West Seattle during World War II for Nephi’s work. After the war, the family returned to Pocatello, then moved to Los Angeles eventually settling in San Dimas, California.

In 1952, Norman joined the Navy where he became an electrician, a trade in which he worked until his retirement in 1998. A veteran of the Korean War, Norman was assigned to the USS Manchester which took him to Korea, Japan and other Asian nations.

A lifetime member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Norman served a mission in his family’s homeland of Denmark. Throughout his life Norman always looked for ways to share the gospel. He served in numerous callings in the church and as a leader for the Boy Scouts of America, fulfilling each calling to the best of his ability.

Norman met Frances Kelland at church in Los Angeles, California. The two later married in the Los Angeles Temple in August 1960. The couple had six children, lived in Chino, California; the Hailey, Idaho area, then settled in Twin Falls. In 1990, the couple relocated to Seattle, Washington until their retirement when they returned to Twin Falls. Norman and Frances served as temple workers in the Seattle, Boise and Twin Falls Temples. They enjoyed traveling to visit their much-loved grandchildren.

After Frances’s death in 2017, Norman spent his time doing iron work, ceramics, rock tumbling, restoring a 1949 Jeep Willys, and writing stories about his life, his favorite being “A Friend named Ted,” a story about his childhood teddy bear.

Norman is proceeded in death by his wife of 57 years, Frances; his parents, Nephi and Leah Carlsen; his sisters and their spouses, Arnetta and Robert Ratto, Jean and Gale Staley; and son-in-law, Joseph Mahon. He is survived by his brother Dale (Sue) Carlsen of Farmington, New Mexico; children Sam (Carrie) Carlsen of Boise, Kathy (Brad) Jubitz of West Linn, Oregon, Mark, Bandit, Smokey and Junior Carlsen of Twin Falls, Paul Carlsen of Boise, Matt (Tawni) of Indianapolis, Indiana, April Mahon of Winterport, Maine; 13 grandchildren and 1 great grandson, Mason Jubitz.

Viewing will be held on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. with the services beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Rosenau Funeral Home and Crematorium. Graveside service with military honors will follow at Twin Falls Cemetery at 11:30 a.m.