Christen Coulon

Christen Coulon, loving husband and father of three, passed away on Sunday, February 13, 2022 in Battle Creek, Michigan, at the age of 45. Christen was born Christen Craig Coulon in Lansing, Michigan on May 8, 1976.

When Christen was 5 years old he and his parents moved to Auburn, Indiana where Christen spent most of his childhood years. He joined boy scouts and played summer and winter sports. Baseball and soccer were his favorites which he continued to play into high school. The yard was always filled with bikes as Christen and his friends were constantly on the go. From the time Christen could walk he was busy and interested in getting to know new friends.

Christen shared a love for history and world affairs with his father. In sixth grade, Christen won the national geography bee for his class. When he was a junior in high school, Christen was one of two boys chosen to participate in Boys State, a week-long educational camp of government instruction sponsored by the American Legion.

In his teen years, Christen spent many winters on the Michigan ski hills. He also loved to play soccer and broke the school soccer record for scoring in his senior year and was named to the All-Conference team. At one game Christen made a hat trick and his grandfather stood up and yelled, "That's my grandson!"

After high school, Christen joined the Army and served in Kosovo and Kuwait as a journalist. In 2006 Christen and Lanessa Miller were married. Their wedding was in a field where rain was forbidden to fall and the sun shone brightly. Friends and family came to celebrate their perfect day.

In 2008 Christen received his Master's in Communications from Austin Peay State University. Christen then became an adjunct professor for APSU where he taught classes for 10 years. The Coulon family moved to Selmer, Tennessee where Christen was the editor of the Independent Appeal. Christen and Lanessa were quite active in their small town. Lanessa was part of Arts in McNairy and together they organized many town and county events.

In 2016 Christen and his family moved to Battle Creek, Michigan where he and his wife were full-time substitute teachers. Christen so enjoyed working with the elementary students from the Lakeview School District. He especially liked his long-term assignment as a gym teacher at Riverside Elementary. He often spoke of the wonderful experiences he had there. Christen even taught his daughters at Minges Brook Elementary at different times which turned an ordinary school day into a special memory for them all.

Many interesting meals were created by Christen for his family. Some were received better than others, but he continued to prepare and cook up new ideas weekly. Christen also loved to go camping and take long bike rides with his children.

Christen will be dearly missed by his loving wife: Lanessa Miller, children: Fox, Pixel and Moxie, parents: Craig and Robbyn Coulon, brother: Jeremy Coulon, grandmother: Dorna Christenson, as well as his extended family and an abundance of friends. We will miss Christen's stories and laughter more than words can say.

A service will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 5th at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 105 Capital Ave. NE, Battle Creek. The service will be Livestreamed and may be viewed at https://vimeo.com/679481661. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to the GoFundMe Fundraiser linked on Lanessa Miller's Facebook page (https://gofund.me/2fe9ec32). A headstone for Christen will be placed at the Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan. Personal messages for the family and/or favorite memories of Christen may be placed here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.