Corinne Ann Paulson Engstrom, long-time resident of Clay County, SD, passed away September 15, 2021 at Centerville, SD at the age of 101 years.  Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, Tuesday, September 21 at Komstad Covenant Church with visitation beginning at 9:00 AM.  Memorials may be directed to the Komstad Covenant Church, Capital Fund.

Corinne was born on the family farm in Riverside Township near Centerville on October 9, 1919, was the second of four sisters born to Adelaide and Olaf Paulson.  She grew up in the rural Komstad community through the droughts and economic hardships of the 1920's and 1930's, sharing farm chores with her sister Rosalie and attending one-room Ash Creek grade school.  She attended Centerville High School, graduating in 1937.  She earned her nursing degree at Creighton University associated with St. Joseph's Hospital in Omaha and worked there through 1943.  She met and married Harold Engstrom in 1941.  They spent the World War II years at Harold's wartime post at McDill Air Force Base in Florida.  After the war, Corinne and Harold moved back to Omaha where Corinne served as a public health nurse.

In 1948 Corinne and Harold moved to Centerville where they established a farm in the Komstad community.  Corinne was a full partner in their farming business, as comfortable in the cab of her tractor as in a car.  She was immensely proud of their farm's signature white fences and acres of bluegrass lawn manicured with "his and hers" riding mowers.  Farming was her passion and crop news from Komstad continued to brighten her day through later years.  She was a proud contributor to Clay County, Centerville and Komstad communities.   She was a long-time service leader in 4-H, Clay County Extension clubs, and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Harold passed away suddenly just short of their 50 ^th anniversary.   Corinne moved to a house in Centerville where she was able to live for 25 years with the friendship and support of nearby sister Beverly and friends.   Subsequently she lived for several years as neighbor of sister Marjorie at Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls.  She lived most recently at the Centerville Care and Rehab Center.

Corinne was baptized at St John's Lutheran, the pioneer church of her Norwegian paternal grandparents and confirmed at the Komstad Swedish Pioneer Church of her maternal family.  For virtually her entire life she was a member of Komstad Covenant Church where Ladies Aid service and grooming of its cemetery grounds were priorities.  In widowed life while residing in Centerville and Sioux Falls, special friends saw to it that she still got to Sunday services at Komstad regularly.

Corinne was fortunate to travel for extended stays with her family in Minnesota, never missing Erika, Jake and Greta celebrations.  She spent many an afternoon with their soccer and tennis and many evenings with music and dance competitions.  She had special memories of annual vacations with the "kids" in Florida.

100 ^th Birthday Parties were held in her honor at Dow Rummel Village and Komstad Church.  She was presented with membership in the South Dakota Century Club.  She was immensely thankful for the friends and relatives that shared her rare celebration.

Corinne is survived by son, Wayne (Margaret) of Eagan, MN; granddaughter, Erika (Kevin) of Rosemount, MN; great-grandchildren, Jake and Greta; sisters, Marjorie Seiler of Sioux Falls and Beverly (Vernon) Andersen of Centerville; and nephews with their extended families.  She was preceded in death by husband, Harold; parents, Adelaide and Olaf Paulson; and sister, Rosalie.