Funeral services for 90-year-old Kenneth “Ken” Erickson of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday morning, August 17, 2015, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake. The church is located at 1418 2nd Avenue.
Interment will be in Mountain Lake City Cemetery, located at 10th Street North at Midway Road.
Visitation will be at the church the day of the service from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Sturm Funeral Home-Mountain Lake Chapel, is handling the funeral arrangements.
Kenneth “Ken” Marvin Erickson passed away on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, at Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake-The Village.
Kenneth “Ken” Marvin Erickson was born the second child of Gustav and Hilda (Holter) Erickson, on May 3, 1925 in Bruce, South Dakota. He attended country school, finishing 8th grade, and after his father’s passing, farmed with his uncles to help provide for his mother and siblings.
In November 1942 at the age of 17, and with his mother’s permission, he proudly enlisted in the United States Navy to serve the country that he loved so much and to continue to provide for his family. He was discharged in October 1945 and returned home to Bruce, where he again worked for his uncles. But, his heart belonged to the Navy, and he reenlisted in January 1947 and spent the next 26 years proudly serving his country, serving on many ships and destroyers, earning many medals and awards and visiting many countries. He was also a Naval Recruiter until his honorable discharge in December 1973 with the rank of GMG1. He was very proud of his service years and that was evident by the many stories he told his family and many friends. He loves recounting his military years and all loved listening to his stories.
Ken never thought he would marry and have a family of his own, but that all changed when he met Lois Pedersen. They married on May 3, 1963 in Worthington, Minnesota and he became a father to her two wonderful boys, Gary and David. After some time, they returned to South Dakota and were blessed with three daughters, Laureen and twins LeAnn and DeAnn. Ken, Lois and the girls made their home in Worthington, where he was employed as a maintenance man and eventually made their home in Mountain Lake, where he was employed at Butterfield Foods in Butterfield, Minnesota, in the maintenance department. He loved his job and was a hard working man. His life centered around taking care of those he loved. Ken retired from his job after 34 years, but worked part-time until the age of 81.
In 1992, Ken lost his loving wife of 29 years. He missed her dearly and often talked of joining her one day. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, trying to win the lottery and sharing his many Navy stories. In April 2014, Ken entered the Jackson Good Samaritan Village and later was transferred to the Good Sam in Mountain Lake where he was loved and wonderfully cared for until his passing.
Ken is survived by his children Gary (Glenda) Pedersen and David (Delona) Pedersen all of Brookings, South Dakota, Laureen (Wayne) Dick of Mountain Lake, LeAnn (Curtis) Riihl of Medford, Minnesota and DeAnn Wright and fiancée Paul Sherwood of Mason City, Iowa; 13 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; one brother Duane Erickson of Flandreau, South Dakota and many nieces and nephews.
Ken will be remembered for his kindness, his sense of humor, positiveness and love for life.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lois; sisters, Marcy, Vivian, Delores and Viola and one brother, Wilbur.